Their Name Is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World
4.6
5
5
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Paperback
USD
12.6
$12.60
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780874866308 |
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| Publisher: | Plough Publishing House, The |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2014 |
| Pages: | 189 |
| Sales rank: | 583,834 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.38(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World
4.6 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
5 reviews.
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I loved this book! I was able to apply this book not only to my own life but to my work life. I have the great pleasure of working with hundreds of families and their
children in my community, which I would like to add is impoverished. Working with those living in poverty and who are in need of mental health services is a challenge, I imagine that being a parent in this world is a bigger one.
By getting the word out there to others I work with, perhaps I can spread the wonderful lessons, ideas, philosophies contained in this book to others, including staff co-workers, and those we serve. I hope to inject within my community a strong urgency of the importance of family
and the need for continued parental involvement throughout all stages of life with an emphasis on morals, values, character and spirituality. I was lucky enough to receive direct emails and have a shipment coming to my place of employment in order to spread this word! Thank you!
And if you haven't yet. Please take a chance on this book that brings us back to our roots.... hopefully that is where we can begin in helping to shape the lives of our young minds that are today, tomorrow and the forever future!
Wonderful read! Thank you again!
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This past Sunday, we had a conversation with a neighbor.
It was a conversation about what a strange, violent world this is. We talked about how so many young people are committing crimes- acting with utter disregard for the sacredness of life. We talked about how so many parents are giving up on their kids, and then kids become the delinquents they were expected to be.
It was, obviously, a sad conversation. And I didn't know what to say. I came home, shaking my head, and returned to the book I was reading.
The book was "Their Name is Today" by Johann Christoph Arnold. It is exactly the book to inform that conversation.
This is a book about bequeathing a better world to our children, and reaching their hearts and touching their souls. It's a book about "winning children for the good" and giving them the best opportunities to grow up confident and content.
The author comes from an interesting background. He is a chaplain for several law enforcement agencies, so his eyes are wide open to the havoc that crime wreaks on victims and responding officers. He is also an advocate for a more just, peaceful and merciful world, so he believes that a better way exists if we seek it out.
The question of children and how to raise them falls right in between these issues. Children are the victims of our broken world, and yet if they aren't guided and nurtured, they will become the next generation of victimizers.
Do we shut our eyes to the problems and pretend that America's children are just fine, or do we let the obvious problems shape our dialogue and become negative and prescriptive?
Mr. Arnold has found the good middle path to walk.
For example, he has an entire chapter called "Screening Out," in which he addresses specific dangers of of the internet age, such as violent video games. He also addresses the general effect of electronic entertainment in our homes and computer-based education in out classrooms. He never retreats to talk of "the good old days," and his concern isn't motivated by dislike of progress or technology.
Rather, he quotes educators and child specialists who question whether tethering our schools to screens is a good thing for children's literacy, social skills, and even motor control.
Some of my other favorite chapters include Discovering Reverence, In Praise of Difficult Children, and Material Child.
In Discovering Reverence, he says "Our response upon encountering a child must be nothing less than reverence. Perhaps because the word sounds so old-fashioned, its true meaning has been blurred. Reverence is more than just love. It includes an appreciation for the qualities children possess (and which we ourselves have lost), a readiness to rediscover their value, and the humility to learn from them."
My local library has a sign on the wall. It states that children will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Imagine how children would feel if they were respected, right from the start. Not as little princes whose every whim is honored, but as little human beings who have dignity and purpose.
In "In Praise of Difficult Children," he brings a ray of hope to any parent or teacher who does not want to give up on any child, but can't seem to make any headway with a certain child either. I love this radical idea... be grateful for the "difficult" boy or girl, they are teaching you a new way to love them.
And in "Material Child," he deals with consumerism. He doesn't cast blame on the children or the parents who are caught in the trap of more-is-better, he points to gratitude and family togetherness as the source of true satisfaction.
I'm grateful to Plough Publishing and Propellor Consulting LLC for providing me with a copy.
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This book is well-written and extremely applicable to today's society. I highly recommend it.
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I received a copy of THEIR NAME IS TODAY: RECLAIMING CHILDHOOD IN A HOSTILE WORLD by Johann Cristoph Arnold from Plough. The foreword is by Mark K. Shriver. I read this with a background in childhood education, and much of it rang true with what I learned in college and what I saw working in local public elementary schools.
In a nutshell, the book covers how society views and treats children. He does this by analyzing education and parenting. I liked how he stressed giving children personal attention. My parents doted on me growing up, and while I don’t feel spoiled, I do feel loved. I feel comfortable asking them questions, showing my strengths and weaknesses, and trusting their guidance. I’ve seen other children who are neglected or scolded, and I see them suffering through relationships.
I am definitely passing this on to educator friends.
As a bonus, I realized that Johann Christoph Arnold lives in Upstate New York like me. I may contact him at some point to see if he would like to speak at the Utica Writers Club.
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Childhood: A Gift or a White Elephant
I had read Johann Christoph Arnold's book Rich in Years a while back. I found his comments and concerns
to be valid so when I had a chance to read another of his books I jumped at the opportunity. I was not
displeased. Arnold's book Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World examines the
childhood children are experiencing today. So much truth and wisdom are packed in this little book.
Arnold explores child's unstructured play, parental influence or lack there of, technology addiction and
materialism. For instance, he writes "Children model the behavior of adults, on whatever scale is available
to them. Ours are growing up in a nation whose most important, influential men...solve problems by
killing people." If your concerned for your children, grandchildren or any child than you will want to read
this gem.
I received this book from Handlebar to review for free.
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