Course Code: BID04

Towards Inclusive Communities: Children at Risk

(to be taught by instructors from Biblical, Theology, and Ministry clusters)

BDII, Semester 1, 2 Credit Hours, College Paper, No Final Examination

(It is Compulsory for the College to submit the Marks through Online Portal)

Course Objectives

1. To expose the students to various contexts of Children at Risk (CAR) and to see how the concept of childhood is defined, introduced, commercialized and circulated.
2. To introduce the students to various theological discourses on children issues like Child Theology (CT) and Holistic Child Development (HCD) and their methodological nuances.
3. To engage the students to approach the plight of “at-risk” children from an interdisciplinary approach.
4. To initiate the students to re-read biblical, theological, and ethical discourses in the light of the battered psychology of CAR and to reclaim children’s agency for our theological and ministerial reflections.
5. To inspire the students to initiate and to engage in ministries of compassionate justice along with the affected.
6. To motivate the students to create awareness in church and society to build inclusive communities of healing, wholeness, and restoration.

Note

No Final Examinations. Class work, seminars, papers, project, and other methods would be determined to examine students.

Course Requirements

• Internal Assessment 40%
• A research paper on one of the risks children are exposed. 30%
• Study visits to places where children are at risk and to interact with them, and write a reflection paper. 30%

Course Outline

Unit 1: Understanding Children at Risk and Methodological Issues

• Understanding who CAR are in India: Discussions on Abused children, Disabled children, Disaster affected, Displaced children, Trafficked, HIV+ children, Abused children, Children at War/war like situation, Children in labor force, Children in poverty (rag pickers, street children), Children of broken families, Children at brothels, Children of commercial sex workers, and Children in pornography.
• Various theories on the causes and perpetuation of the risks: Caste, Class, Gender, Globalization
• Child Theology Movement, its History and Its Methodological Insights
• Holistic Child Development in Asia and India, and its methodological insights
• Overcoming Adult-Child Dichotomy

Unit 2: Psychological, Legal and Political Perspectives

• Psychological and physiological hindrances for the growth of CAR
• Developing counseling procedures, trauma healing, and educational processes for CAR
• Empowering families and communities to enable CAR
• Intergenerational dialogue to comprehend the rightful place of CAR
• Children as Full-citizens of the state needing full protection and care
• Greater Attention to children’s risks in state policies
• Children’s perspective in formulating state policies and laws and policies on their rights, labor, education, health, empowerment and budget allocations
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Children protection laws
• UNICEF – Children’s right
• Reviewing the Role of Monitoring agencies from CAR perspective

Unit 3: Biblical Directives on Children, Childhood and Risk

• Various understandings of Children and Childhood in the Bible: Children and Covenantal Blessings, Children and the expected Messiah, Children and the Reign of God, Children in the Early Church, Sacramentality of Children
• Reclaiming the Dignity of Childhood and Children: CAR as full images of God, and full participants in the fellowship of the believers
• Children at Risk and their Protection: A Critique of Adult perspectives of the Bible
• “Children in the Midst” perspective for Reclaiming Children and Childhood: Jesus and Children.
• A Critique of Biblical hermeneutics in India from CAR perspective

Unit 4: Theological Reflections on CAR

• Children as Lesser beings and Theology as an adult domain: Reviewing Christian Theological traditions
• Understanding CAR as meaning makers in religious discourses
• Understanding “God’s grace” and “Sin” through Baptismal Theology and Eucharistic Theology for CAR
• Suffering of Children and the “Wages of sin”: A Critique
• How Liberating is Liberation Theology for CAR?
• CAR as theological voices

Unit 5: Implications for Christian Ministry

• Action plans, roles and responsibilities in the ministry of children
• Community-based rehabilitation of CAR of various kind.
• Christian Education programmes and their syllabi highlighting CAR
• Towards Children-friendly worship, Children-friendly liturgy, and children-friendly religious and community activities.
• Worship as a celebration of welcoming, restoration, repentance, and inclusivity.

Required Readings:

• Baruah, Aninima. Child Abuse. New Delhi: Reference Press, 2003.
• Bishoyi, Sri Kedarnath. Plight of Child Labor. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House, 2003.
• Bunge, Marcia J, ed. The Child in Christian Thought. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001.
• Bunge, Marcia J, ed. The Child in the Bible. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Economic Development of Children in India: A Contextual Perspective.” Holistic Child Development: Foundation Theory and Practice. Vol 1 Edited by Jesudasan Baskar Jeyaraj, Associate editors Razouselie Lasetso, Elizabeth Giri. Bangalore: CFGD/ISPCK, 2013, 138-151.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Child Sacrifice in India: A Christian Response.” Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges. Edited by Jesudasan Jeyaraj. New Delhi: CFCD/ISPCK, 2009, 133-147.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Child Rights: Towards a Fuller Realization of Human Rights,” Conviction Journal of Bethel Bible College, Vol. 2, Issue 2, (July-Dec, 2014), 81-88.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Economic Development of children: A Contextual Perspective,” Journal of Theological Education and Mission, Vol 3 (February 2012), 100-109.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Social, and Religious Realities of Indian Children,” Dharma Deepika, 12/2 (Dec 2008), 5-7.
• Giri, Elizabeth. “Children in Globalizing India,” Bishop’s College Newsletter (2008).
• Jesudason Baskar Jeyaraj. Biblical perspectives on children and their protection: Towards a Child Theology. Madurai: Jubilee Institute Publication, 2007.
• Jeyaraj, Jesudason Baskar. Invisible Children: Infanticide Feticide and Abortion: Challenges and Responses. Chennai: Jubilee Institute Publication, 2008.
• Ralte, Lalruata. “‘Sexually Abused Children: A Pastoral Counselling Perspective.” Master’s Journal of Theology 3, no. 2 & 4, no. 1 (December 2013 – June 2015): 49-63.
• Rohan Gideon, Child Labour in India: Its Challenges for Theological Thought and Christian Ministry in India (Delhi/Nagpur: ISPCK/NCCI, 2011)
• Victus, Solomon. “Child Labour and Biblical Response” in Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges (ed.) by Jesudasan Jeyaraj, Bangalore: Christian Forum for Child Development & ISPCK, 2009.
• Victus, Solomon. “Children and Work in South India,” International Family Network (IFAN), Somerset (U.K.): Trinity, 2003, p3.

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