The Faithful Parent: Discovering the Spirit of Purposeful Parenting - Softcover

Seamus Carey teaches philosophy at Manhattan College, and is the author of The Whole Child: Restoring Wonder to the Art of Parenting. He is the father of two daughters and one son.

With his characteristic thoughtfulness, common sense, and integrity, Seamus Carey reclaims the notion of faith, rethinking it in its application to the orienting attitudes that make for good parenting. Faith, as he explains it, coincides with that fundamental trust in oneself, in the world, and in one's child that lets each open up as a source of spiritual depth and, by providing bearings independent from the ubiquitous pressures of the daily social hustle, make family life a site of stability and growth. A particular gift I will long reflect on is Prof. Carey's notion - key to self-knowledge and autonomy - of silence. His faith in silence as an occasion for discovery and restoration is itself a paradigm of his faith in faith itself. (Mitch Miller, Vassar College)

This book is a welcome guide to the vanishing art of parenting. It richly illustrates the vital role of philosophical faith in family life, and could help get the American family off the endangered species list. (Lou Marinoff, Professor of Philosophy, The City College of New York)

Parents, educators, and counselors, religious or not, will benefit from Carey's thoughtful, informed reflections. (Dominic J. Balestra, Fordham University)

A generous and thoughtful meditation on the lifelong calling of parents. Carey clearly articulates the challenges all parents face and the virtues their vocation requires. Filled with practical insight and wisdom, Carey's book is a boon to all who love and care for the young. (Michael McCarthy, Vassar College)

There is much to recommend in this book. (International Journal Of Children's Spirituality, February 2009)

This book uses philosophical intelligence in the service of parental love. It is Seamus Carey's great intellectual accomplishment to remind us that philosophy can indeed help us fulfill this urgent, and enormously difficult, task. (Roger S. Gottlieb, author of A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet's Future)