Fully revised and updated, this classic guide is not a “how-to” parenting manual. Rather, with honesty, warmth, and humor, the authors share their own struggles and joys and offer models for reflection that encourage parents to consider how their beliefs shape their identities and family life.This Second Edition includes: - Context on today’s social and political upheaval, including polarization, racism, and climate anxiety;- Voices of LGBTQ parents, parents of color, and new insights into non-binary, transgender, and neurodiverse identities;- Exploration of reproductive choices, and the decision to have—or not have—children;- A study guide to support group reflection.Ideal for individual reading or group study, Hopes and Fears fosters connection, conversation, and spiritual growth, and empowers parents to embrace the spiritual journey of raising children, even amid uncertainty, challenge, and change.
Bromleigh McCleneghan served in congregational ministry for 20 years and has recently returned to school: both as a middle school religion teacher and as a PhD student in theology and ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She is the author of Good Christian Sex and co-editor of two volumes of When Kids Ask Hard Questions: Faith-Filled Responses for Tough Topics.Lee Hull Moses has served in congregational ministry and denominational leadership in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is a contributor to the Christian Century and the author of More Than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess.
Introduction: On friendships, and babies, and telling the truth 1. Leap of Faith 2. My Body, My Fault 3. Called by Name 4. Bedtime5. Good Work 6. Cuddling, and Other Not-As-Precious Things about Incarnation 7. Saying Grace 8. I’m the Mommy, That’s Why 9. Planting Seeds 10. The Rage 11. Birthdays and Baby Books 12. When Christian Feminists Give Birth to Princesses13. Move, Mommy, Move 14. Dancing with her Daddy on a Saturday Morning Conclusion: Of All the YearsBibliographyAppendixNotesIndexAbout the Authors
Tender and brutally honest, Hopes and Fears offers a humane vision of parenting in a troubled world. McCleneghan and Moses weave practical wisdom with spiritual reflection, guiding parents toward resilience and hope. This is a book about what it means to be fully human as well as how to raise our children well without losing ourselves in the process.