A Mighty River: Intersections of Spiritualities and Activism in Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Abstract

This article seeks to expand the possibilities of support that children's and young adult literature provides to activist-oriented educators. Joining our voices to others who have made significant contributions to this emphasis, our work examines a too-often-silenced aspect of activism: its intersection with spirituality. Using an inclusive conceptualization of spirituality that emphasizes diversity and complexity, we present and engage with a range of picture books and novels relevant to spiritual activism. We first present a literature review that traces the use of literature in the teaching of activism and spirituality. Drawing from this scholarship, we identify key criteria for selecting spiritual activist texts. Next, we discuss several texts that meet these criteria in relation to four overarching themes: 1) aligning activist approaches with spiritualities, 2) invoking praxis to sustain a vision of change, 3) identifying activist strategies for effecting change, and 4) negotiating across spiritual boundaries. This discussion foregrounds the power of these texts to explore how people's spiritualities sustain and inspire their activist efforts. We conclude by extending these implications with specific recommendations for educators who seek to nourish the activism and spirituality of children and youth.

The space before, the space beyond: Activism, relationships and social change in the neo‐liberal academy

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Bridges to Global Citizenship: Ecologically Sustainable Futures Utilising Children's Literature in Teacher Education

“…Teachers who appreciate the use of children's literature will need to look beyond the value of picture books in teaching literacy and use such books to teach many additional concepts across the curriculum. The use of literature to assist students in understanding confronting and sometimes controversial (Simon & Norton, 2011) issues can be a powerful tool for primary teachers trying to contend with a crowded curriculum and the explicit teaching of the skills needed to achieve in the testing regime currently being administered in Australian primary schools. Many Australasian authors, including Colin Thiele, Jeannie Baker, James Reece and Graeme Base, provide teachers with quality literature that can assist in the exploration and discussion of ecological issues with children (Reid et al, 2010).…”