The Role of Religious Poetry in Enhancing Children’s Spiritual Intelligence (SI)

Abstract

The nature and quality of presenting religious literature to children have engaged the minds of many scholars of children’s literature, sometimes posing remarkable challenges. Today’s knowledge declares that children brim with a variety of intelligences and modes of interpretation. A great portion of their competence, dubbed “spiritual intelligence,” may be created and reinforced by dint of religious literature. Mastering the working of the elements of spiritual intelligence and applying them to poetry may contribute to the enhancement of the quality of children’s religious poetry. To this end, the authors analyzed 300 pieces of poetry written for children with a religious theme, using descriptive and analytic methods in restoring and appraising the elements of spiritual intelligence. The findings suggest that self-awareness and posing questions are among the most efficacious elements of spiritual intelligence in children’s religious poetry whereas some aspects are neglected.