Godly Play is a

Montessori The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...

method for

Christian education Christian education may refer to: * Catechesis, a type of Christian education associated with the Roman Catholic church and churches that follow a liturgical paradigm *Sunday school, a form of Christian education used widely among many different ki ...

. The method has been utilized in churches around the world.

Founding

The method was developed by Jerome Berryman, an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

priest. Berryman had studied the Montessori method in Italy, and had been trained in

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori method for Christian education in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. The method is offered in churches and schools across 37 countries. Founding The method was developed by Sofia Ca ...

. Berryman sought to develop something similar, suitable for a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

audience, incorporating

existentialist Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and value ...

theological concerns. Berryman and his colleague Sonja Stewart, a professor of Christian education at

Western Theological Seminary Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a private seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States ...

, co-developed a series of lessons plans, the first of which were published in the book ''Young Children and Worship''. Berryman then further developed these ideas into the Godly Play method. The lesson plans were published as a series of books. Teachers are expected to be trained—and, ideally, certified—in the Godly Play method, in order to teach Godly Play. Some of the first Godly Play trainings were held on the campus of

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the largest and second-oldest such accredited se ...

. Although there are apparent similarities in methodology and praxis, there are also key methodological and theological differences between the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Godly Play.

Method

As with the Montessori method, the Godly Play method is child-centered and hands-on. Led by trained teachers, children are guided through a series of lessons which teach the Bible, the

church year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year, ecclesiastical calendar, or kalendar, consists of the cycle of Christian liturgy, liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including Calendar of saints, c ...

, and the

saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

. The aim is to tap into the imagination and the religious potential of the child, as well as to attend to the child's existential limits. Berryman said, " the heart of each lesson is storytelling and wondering". The lessons are taught as stories, illustrated with hands-on materials, which are followed by "I wonder" questions, then by time for students to creatively respond. Essential to the method is "the idea that children have an innate sense of God", but "only lack the language to express their spirituality"; Godly Play aims to address this lack, by providing the language, without interfering with the child's natural instincts. The curriculum is taught in a classroom, which is specially prepared. Children are divided by age groups; each age group meets in a separate classroom, and is taught lessons in a scope and sequence tailored to their age group.

Research

Work has been done to study Godly Play method and its impact through research and investigation. One collection of said studies is ''Godly Play — Gott im Spiel'', edited by Martin Steinhäuser and Rune Oystese.

Derivatives

The method has inspired several derivatives, among them:
Faith & Play Stories
for

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

; an
Spirit Play
for

Unitarian Universalists Unitarian Universalism (abbreviated UUism or UU) is a Religious liberalism, liberal religious tradition characterized by its commitment to theological diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. Unitarian Universalists do not adhere to a single ...

Founding

Method

Research

Derivatives

References

External links