Adolescent Flourishing: Theological and Educational Approaches to Supporting Catholic Youth

Dear Colleagues,

Educating in faith can and should be about forming people whose religious belonging will contribute to their lifelong flourishing. Many researchers are rightly interested in the disaffiliation of youth from religious institutions and the trends in contemporary society that make religious belonging more difficult. But while it is useful to describe the problem, theologians, ministers and religious educators also need a positive vision for young people. What does it mean for adolescents to flourish? And what theological and religious educational resources do Catholic communities have that can support this?

Adolescent flourishing here is used to imagine the kind of world and Church where adolescents, their voices and their experiences are welcomed, heard and incorporated into our theological vision, a shorthand for what the Catholic Church and its ministers are called to do to ensure that adolescents can live in a world where thriving is possible. The theologian Miroslav Volf and his colleagues caution that we ought not define flourishing too prescriptively by trying to define what flourishing looks like for others, often based on our own experiences of flourishing or failing to flourish (Volf et al., 2020, 7). Volf suggests that we think about flourishing along three axes: agency, circumstances and affect (Volf et al., 2020, 10); our ability to flourish is shaped by our capacity to make meaningful choices about our lives, the contexts that shape our choices and how we feel about the direction our lives are taking. And, importantly, flourishing is always understood within the context of relationships with others and with God; human flourishing is rooted in love, God’s love for humanity and our love for God, others and self (Volf et al., 2020, 16). 

Adolescents, by virtue of their age and immaturity, are a vulnerable group and their flourishing is constrained in many ways. Living in an increasingly complex Western (particularly North American) culture means that adolescents are growing up in an individualistic and materialistic culture, shaped by racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, poverty, environmental degradation and violence. These and other forces make thriving more difficult, constituting circumstances that adolescents cannot control and which constrain their agency and shape their affective responses. 

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore the theological commitments and practices of faith formation that Catholic institutions can utilize for a ministry with adolescents that is oriented towards their flourishing. In particular, this Special Issue explores Catholic theology and the role of Catholic institutions interested in religious formation. To this end, we invite proposals that explore adolescent flourishing from perspectives of systematic theology (including, for example, theological anthropology, ecclesiology, or sacramental theology), practical theology, religious education and/or pastoral ministry (including ministry in, for example, parishes, schools, universities, camps and/or social justice contexts). The term adolescence can be understood broadly to include young people from puberty to young adulthood; Catholic contexts can include, but are not limited to parishes, parish programs, Catholic schools and universities, youth and young adult ministries and social justice and chaplaincy services.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.  Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluations of systematic theological resources (such as ecclesiology, theological anthropology, soteriology, eschatology and sacramental theology) that can help define adolescent flourishing.
• Explorations of adolescent experiences of flourishing or failure to flourish and the circumstances that shape adolescent flourishing, analyzed through the lens of Catholic theology and ministry.
• Analyses of Catholic institutional practices that contribute or fail to contribute to adolescent flourishing.
• Proposals of Catholic institutional practices that could support adolescent flourishing.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Dr. Cynthia L. Cameron (cynthia.cameron@utoronto.ca) or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Amity Zhang (amity.zhang@mdpi.com).  Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Reference:
Volf, Miroslav, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. “Meanings and Dimensions of Flourishing.” In Religion and Human Flourishing, edited by Adam B. Cohen. Baylor University Press, 2020.

Dr. Cynthia L. Cameron
Guest Editor

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