Understanding spirituality: children’s spiritual voice(s) as a bridge for effective dialogue in religious, spiritual and moral education

Children and young people regularly report suppressing aspects of their spirituality due to fears of ridicule or dismissal, both in and out of school. This situation contributes to spirituality becoming hidden, which is further compounded by disconnects between informal and formal settings involving religious, spiritual, and moral education. This article proposes that the child’s voice(s) can potentially bridge these informal and formal contexts. However, achieving this requires adults to both recognize and understand spirituality from young people’s perspectives, which can be challenging. The argument is made that adopting an attitude of epistemic humility can help facilitate self-awareness and reduce dialogical tension. Examples of children and young people’s spiritual voice(s) are offered to illustrate continuums of adults’ epistemic un/ease and dialogical flow/tension in responding to them. These range from acceptance and empathy with moments of awe and wonder, through to the challenges posed by reports of divine encounters. Suggestions for cultivating epistemic humility are offered, while acknowledging the inherent difficulties. The article concludes that dialogical tension can be a positive force when approached with curiosity about children’s worlds and perspectives. In this way, intergenerational engagement in and across diverse educational settings is facilitated to support the flourishing of young people’s spirituality.