Theologian Biographies for Children: Big Ideas for Little People

A Brief Intermission

I have been enjoying the last couple of months writing my Defense for the Existence of God from Experience. There is plenty more to come.

But today, I will take a brief detour in order to share an idea that stuck me this week...

A Surprising Gap in Children's Literature

My 10-year-old stepdaughter is at a point where she is expressing interest in reading non-fiction. She wants to learn about history, people, wars, etc.

Naturally, I bought her the Children's Book of Philosophy. I mean, what preteen wouldn't want to ponder questions like "Why do we exist?" and moral dilemmas such as the famous trolly problem?

It got me thinking though...if I could really capitalize on this newfound interest of hers, I would want her to learn the subject matter I am truly passionate about...theology. The problem is, outside of children's stories about the Bible, there is little out there that I can find to get her thinking theologically.

I remembered the children's books on presidents I used to read when I was her age. (Yes, I was a nerd even then.) I also recall reading about other famous people: sports heroes, musical artists, wartime generals. Even philosophers like Plato have earned their place in childhood lore. But as hard as I searched, theologians remained elusive.

I mean, if they can make Bill Gates interesting enough to have a children's book written about him, why not some of history's great theological minds?

I did stumble upon a few children's books on Luther and Augustine that seemed to be independently published. But there were certainly none on the thinkers I find most interesting. Where was Kierkegaard, Tillich, Teilhard...Schleiermacher?

What better way to introduce my stepdaughter to the ideas I have found most valuable in my faith journey than through the eyes of the ones who inspired me?

A Lightbulb Moment

This started me down the road of drawing up the outline of how such a book might look.

Who would I choose as my first subject? If you know me at all, you will have narrowed the answer down to Whitehead and Schleiermacher....and if you REALLY know me, you already realize the foregone conclusion...of course, it's Schleiermacher.

Sketches of an Outline

My idea is to write more of an interesting, fictionalized accounting of FDES. One that would pique the interest of the mind of my 10-year-old and get her asking some of the same questions I had when I first read the Father of Modern Theology.

Here is the introduction I thought would possibly do the job...

Friedrich Schleiermacher: “The Boy Who Felt Big Feelings"

Once upon a time, in a chilly little town in Germany, there lived a boy named Friedrich. He wasn’t the fastest runner or the loudest singer. But Friedrich had something special. He felt things deeply. When the wind whispered through the trees, he didn’t just hear it… he wondered what it meant. When he saw someone smile, he didn’t just smile back…he felt a warm glow inside, like sunshine in his chest.

Friedrich asked questions that made grown-ups scratch their heads.

“Why do I feel close to something bigger when I’m quiet?”

“Is God hiding in my feelings?”

“How do I know God exists if I can't see God?"

Most people thought answers came from books or rules. But Friedrich believed they came from something more: that the most important truths come from inside, from the way we feel connected to everything around us.

This is the story of how Friedrich Schleiermacher grew up to become one of the world’s most thoughtful feelers. He didn’t build castles or fly rockets. He built ideas—big, beautiful ones—about God, love, and what it means to be human.

Possibilities

I am open to any feedback you would like to add. (Please do so below in the comments.) This is not something I'm even sure is worth pursuing. That said, there are options to choose between if I do:

1. Write fictionalized accountings of important theologians like the above example. Whitehead would certainly be a fun follow up!

   
   

2. Write a strictly non-fiction 'History of God Thinkers.' Each theologian could receive a treatment of a few pages.

   
   

3. Write books like the above but tailored to an adult audience...kind of a 'Theologians for Dummies' in order to introduce their big ideas to an audience who wouldn't normally be interested in picking up books like The Christian Faith or Process and Reality.

What are your thoughts?

AI Generated image of Friedrich Schleiermacher