Childhood theology and implications for pedagogy

Abstract

This article argues for a childhood theology informed by systematic theology, which enabled the researcher to mould the concepts of childhood theology to understand in order to use it. Child theology has been a neglected study in most African scholarship. Systematic theology guided the analysis of data as objectively as possible and contributed to the development of a childhood theology model that best accounts for all the data, showing that how childhood theology can be constructed in the African setting. The philosophy of Christian education aided the analysis of childhood theology and to assess the pedagogical relevance towards maximising a child’s potential in learning. Considerations of African theological perspectives, western perspectives and biblical evidence for childhood theology are explored to configure its significance to African childhood theology and the implications for pedagogical practices that are holistic, God-centred and transformative.