Their Name Is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World: Johann Christoph Arnold, Mark Shriver: 9780874866308: Amazon.com: Books
Listen
See all 3 imagesFollow the Author
Johann Christoph Arnold
+ Follow
Their Name Is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World Paperback – September 22, 2014
by Johann Christoph Arnold (Author), Mark Shriver (Foreword)
3.9 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
See all 8 formats and editions
Kindle
$9.38Read with Our Free App
Paperback
$10.00152 Used from $0.1062 New from $0.991 Collectible from $9.50
Read less
Report incorrect product information.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Stunning… Who would have thought that there was anything new to say about childhood? Arnold surprises us at every turn. (Diane Komp, MD, Prof. of Pediatrics, Yale University)
In our hard-charging culture, children often get pushed to the edges of our crowded schedules. Arnold understands the pressures, but points to another way. His book is practical and compelling. (Timothy Jones, author, Nurturing Your Child’s Soul)
A deeply inspiring tribute to children…Arnold’s basic message is clear, and well worth heeding: a deep reverence for children will make the world a better place. (Publishers Weekly)
Beautiful…It is Arnold’s reverence for children that I love. (Jonathan Kozol)
Arnold’s respect for the needs of children is evident on every page, and his perspective gives those who work with children a renewed sense of purpose…This is the perfect gift for a favorite teacher or parent. (Foreword Magazine)
Welcome reading for parents, grandparents, teachers and all those who care deeply about nurturing the next generation. (Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children's Defense Fund)
Book Description
Despite the odds stacked against them, parents and teachers can give each child the childhood they deserve.
About the Author
People have come to expect sound advice from Johann Christoph Arnold, an award-winning author with over a million copies of his books in print in more than 20 languages. A noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues, Arnold is a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. With his wife, Verena, he has counseled thousands of individuals and families over the last forty years. His books include Why Forgive?, Rich in Years, Seeking Peace, Cries from the Heart, Be Not Afraid, and Why Children Matter. Arnold's message has been shaped by encounters with great peacemakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, César Chavez, and John Paul II. Together with paralyzed police officer Steven McDonald, Arnold started the Breaking the Cycle program, working with students at hundreds of public high schools to promote reconciliation through forgiveness. This work has also brought him to conflict zones from Northern Ireland to Rwanda to the Middle East. Closer to home, he serves as chaplain for the local sheriff's department. Born in Britain in 1940 to German refugees, Arnold spent his boyhood years in South America, where his parents found asylum during the war; he immigrated to the United States in 1955. He and his wife have eight children, 42 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. They live in upstate New York. To learn more visit www.richinyears.com
Product details
Paperback: 189 pages
Publisher: Plough Publishing House (September 22, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0874866308
ISBN-13: 978-0874866308
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars 79 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#817 in Children & Teens Christian Education
#387 in School-Age Children Parenting
#769 in Disability Parenting
Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?
Related video shorts (0)Upload your video
Be the first videoYour name here
More about the author
› Visit Amazon's Johann Christoph Arnold Page
Follow
Biography
People have come to expect sound advice from Johann Christoph Arnold, an award-winning author with over 1.3 million copies of his books in print in more than 20 languages.
A noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues, Arnold is a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. With his wife, Verena, he has counseled thousands of individuals and families over the last forty years. His books include Their Name Is Today, Why Forgive?, Rich in Years, Seeking Peace, Cries from the Heart, Be Not Afraid, and Why Children Matter.
Arnold's message has been shaped by encounters with great peacemakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, César Chavez, and John Paul II. Together with paralyzed police officer Steven McDonald, Arnold started the Breaking the Cycle program, working with students at hundreds of public high schools to promote reconciliation through forgiveness. This work has also brought him to conflict zones from Northern Ireland to Rwanda to the Middle East. Closer to home, he serves as chaplain for the local sheriff's department.
Born in Britain in 1940 to German refugees, Arnold spent his boyhood years in South America, where his parents found asylum during the war; he immigrated to the United States in 1955. He and his wife have eight children, 44 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. They live in upstate New York.
To learn more visit www.plough.com
Show More
Ad feedback
Customer reviews
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
82 customer ratings
5 star 41%
4 star 32%
3 star 12%
2 star 7%
1 star 7%
By customer groups & interests
Novels
4.3
Early Childhood Education
3.3
Is this feature helpful?
Yes
No
Review this product
Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review
Ad feedback
Read reviews that mention
name is today johann christoph christoph arnold reclaiming childhood hostile world childhood in a hostile today reclaiming parents and teachers handlebar publishing screen time plough publishing today by johann video games thought provoking exchange for my honest copy of this book standardized testing next generation within the pages publishing house
Top Reviews
Tabaitha J. Dayley
5.0 out of 5 stars College bookReviewed in the United States on December 21, 2019
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Daughter used this book in her college class. Interesting book. Easy to read and understand. Not too expensive for college book.
HelpfulComment Report abuse
Jan Stone
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thinker and authorReviewed in the United States on March 30, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Have not yet read but I love Johann Christoph Arnold and his theology and philosophy.
HelpfulComment Report abuse
steve
4.0 out of 5 stars Four StarsReviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Good but one needs to read over several times
HelpfulComment Report abuse
sara
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on November 24, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Must read!
HelpfulComment Report abuse
Learning Table
3.0 out of 5 stars Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile ...Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2014
Format: Paperback
Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World by Johann Christoph Arnold is a wake up call to parents, grandparents, and educators to "combat" the threats to childhood and "reclaim" it before it's too late. With anecdotes and personal stories, Johann Christoph Arnold writes in a heartfelt manner that is engrossing and thought-provoking. I came away from reading this book feeling inspired and looking at things from a new perspective in many ways.
Though I do not agree with all of his points, I think Arnold's book is important and offers a much needed voice in the midst of all the clutter that surrounds us:
"Unfortunately, many parents today lack a sense of what this [home] means. They are 'too busy' to spend time with their children. Some are so preoccupied with their jobs or their leisure activities that even when they do see their children at the end of a long day, they have no evergy to be with them. They may sit in the same room -- even on the same couch -- but their minds are elsewhere" (p. 64).
As a former public school teacher, I especially relate to the issues raised in Their Name is Today, and I hope that it will find its way into the hands of other teachers and parents. Many homeschool parents are already aware of of the issues in this book, but with the rapid rate things are changing in our society, Their Name is Today will resonate.
4 people found this helpful
HelpfulComment Report abuse
J4Life5
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and inspiring!Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
Every so often a book comes along that challenges readers to make real changes in their day to day lives. This is one of those books. Everyone talks about the assault on childhood and all the problems parents face in raising children in our technology infested culture. This book goes beyond identifying the problems to really challenge anyone who interacts with children to make real changes in their interactions with children.
I found it fascinating that Arnold is related to Froebel, who developed the concept of a kindergarten. He shared his philosophy that play is children's work. It isn't a new concept, but with schools decreasing recess time or in some school cutting it out entirely, it makes one wonder why.
It isn't often that I read a book and think, everyone should read this book. However, this is one of those rare books. Everyone should read this book. Every parent, every educator, every youth pastor, everyone can get something out of this book. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and difficult to read. However, I will never forget the story Arnold shares of the boy who participated in the Roots of Empathy program and asked, "Do you think it is possible for someone to be a good father if no one has ever loved him?" How many young men in our society shy away from fatherhood and abandon responsibility for their families simply because they are afraid they are incapable of being good fathers because no one has ever loved them? It probably isn't true in all cases, but it really makes one wonder.
This book is filled with facts, stories, and information that will make readers think about how they interact with children and what they can do to make childhood better. I know I will share it with fellow teachers at my school in hopes they can see past the disruptive children that "make it harder to get through the lesson plan" into the heart of the child.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It holds the power to change a life within the pages. I got a lot out of it and hope that others will too.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Handlebar Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
One person found this helpful
HelpfulComment Report abuse
Ginger L. Holloway
4.0 out of 5 stars Their Name is TodayReviewed in the United States on October 31, 2014
Format: Paperback
Their Name is Today
Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World by Johann Christoph Arnold was a book I received from Handlebar Publishing in return for posting a review of the book. The book points out all of the obstacles that face today's children in our society: the amount of media available, their exposure to unfavorable things such as violence and sexuality, lack of family time, busyness, stress, academics, etc. The book assures us we are not resigned to allowing these things to cause our children a lifetime of resignation. We are able to help children today, to navigate the world and help it to be a better place. We are not resigned to a downtrodden society. One argument in the book is that we need to restore the values that make society a great place. It is not enough to say we need to help children, but we need to be sure our resources and time support that stance. In other words, we need to start from the top and change our priorities so children can be taken care of. This includes national spending, budgeting, prioritizing education, and reclaiming family values. We also need to model for our children balance in our lives. We cannot expect them to learn to balance their time and priorities if we are always busy, rushing from activity to activity and complaining about the stress in our lives. We need to model appropriate budgeting and finances. We need to demonstrate the importance of family by making time for others. We need to model healthiness by exercising, eating right, and living balanced lives. The book goes on to argue parents need to be there for their children, especially fathers. Parents need to take an active role in their children's lives, setting boundaries and helping to educate them on the important things in life. The book makes a good case for helping children so they can grow up and live healthy, balanced, lives. However, I would have liked to have seen more practical suggestions that could be implemented in families, rather than some of the generalized ideas from the author. The book does cause us to pause and truly think about what we are modeling for our kids and whether our actions are teaching them what we want them to learn. Reading it will help people focus on making changes to give kids a better chance at a better future.
One person found this helpful
HelpfulComment Report abuse
See all reviews from the United States
Top international reviews
onanonv
4.0 out of 5 stars I would recommend it. But...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I liked it as it makes you think of the huge responsibility ALL adults have toward the children the come into contact whenever and wherever. Children are like sponges, you can't put a sponge in vinegar and expect it to absorb water. It's the same with children. It makes you ask, 'what do they absorb from me?' BUT I felt that the book overly idealised children. Some children, in my view, are simply self centred, uncooperative (and I could cite other negative traits) and no matter what is done to help and support them, will not change into well balanced adults. I have bought a copy for someone working with children so with the above caution I would still recommend it.
One person found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
