What Hope for Children? Eschatology, the Normativity of the Future, and Christian Hope in Godly Play

What role does Christian hope play in the contextual biblical interpretation with children? This chapter examines the core teaching materials of the Godly Play method with regards to their treatment of the future. The analysis uncovers a preponderance of backward-looking narratives at the expense of future-oriented perspectives. While Godly Play aims to instill a “playful orthodoxy” and prepare children for church liturgy, the analysis leads to the conclusion that it suffers from an eschatological deficit, a neglect of Christian hope. In the light of these findings, the chapter argues for a shift in Godly-Play’s narrative and interactive methodology and underscores the imperative of integrating the Bieringer school’s Normativity of the Future approach to biblical hermeneutics into the Godly Play religious-education practices. It encourages Godly-Play storytellers to reevaluate and enrich their pedagogical approach to reflect the profound importance of Christian eschatology and hope for children’s theology and spirituality.