Christian Parenting: Wisdom and Perspectives from American History

David P. Setran holds the Price-LeBar Chair of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College. He is the author of The College "Y": Student Religion in the Era of Secularization and the coauthor, with Chris A. Kiesling, of Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood: A Practical Theology for College and Young Adult Ministry. He regularly contributes to such journals as Religion and American Culture, the Christian Education Journal, and the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care.

Religious Studies Review
"Setran’s exploration of the historical development of Christian parenting has provided a valuable text for contemporary Christian parents to reflect on their own parenting approach, providing new strategies to consider as well as for Christian leaders who are interested in broadening their understanding of key parenting practices and
perspectives to encourage in congregations."

"It goes without saying that ours is a challenging day for parenting. What a boon this book is, then. To be sure, it offers no ’ready-made’ guide to parenting per se; but it provides something much better, something that good history always does. It forces the reader to recognize that what he or she deems to be carved-in-stone principles of parenting may well be culturally derived and simply particular to their specific age. Yet, this is more than an analysis of the history of Protestant parenting in America. Along the way, and especially at the close, wisdom garnered from the study of this history is presented in a way that makes this book a rich resource for our day. I wish I had it at hand when my children were at home. Warmly recommended."
— Michael A. G. Haykin
professor of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"With the perennial concern and discussion about Christian parenting practices and ways of nurturing our children’s faith, it is both helpful and refreshing to take a step back and remember that we are not the first to be asking these questions or considering how to go about this task. David Setran invites us to look at how others who have come before us have understood their parenting task, the goals of their efforts, and the ways it was pursued. Parenting matters deeply, and it helps to read about how our spiritual ancestors, Puritans and evangelicals of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, understood and approached this important aspect of family life. Reading this book challenges our assumptions, opens up our blind spots, and helps us begin to recognize other priorities than the ones we have settled for in our time. I love good historical storytelling, and David Setran has a gift for helping us enter into the experiences of others. In so doing, we may begin to see ourselves more clearly."
— Kevin E. Lawson
professor of educational studies at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology
editor of Understanding Children’s Spirituality: Theology, Research, and Practice

"This highly readable book seamlessly integrates history, contemporary social science research on religious parenting, and thoughtful theological reflection. Setran brings Christian parents of the colonial and Victorian eras alive. We see them as both foreign and familiar in ways that challenge our presuppositions about parenting and encourage us to become better parents. Historians, family ministry leaders, and parents will all benefit from reading this book."
— Thomas E. Bergler
professor of Christian thought and practice at Huntington University
author of The Juvenilization of American Christianity