Parenting Forward

A progressive Christian parenting book with a social-justice orientation

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How do we build a better world? One key way is by learning to raise our children with justice, mercy, and kindness.

In Parenting Forward, Brandt equips Christian parents to model a way of following Jesus that has an outward focus, putting priority on loving others, avoiding judgment, and helping those in need.

Parenting Forward shows how parents must work on dismantling their own racial, cultural, gender, economic, and religious biases in order to avoid passing them on to their children.

Downloads

I made a free study guide that goes with Parenting Forward. You can use it in small groups, with your parenting partner(s), or just on your own.

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Our jobs as parents aren’t to prescribe the kinds of fruit they will grow, but to be diligent in watering the roots of justice towards our children, and let each of their own unique seeds germinate into their dynamic selves.

— Cindy Wang Brandt

Advance Praise

Powerful and well-written, Parenting Forward is a much needed awakening in a world too willing to close its eyes to its most marginalized, voiceless, and vulnerable inhabitants.

L.R. Knost

Founder and director of the children's rights advocacy and family consulting group, Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources, and Editor-in-Chief of Holistic Parenting Magazine

I used to shudder at the mere mention of “Christian Parenting.” So many books from my tradition tell us how to control, break, and brainwash in order to make kids submissive. Until now. In Parenting Forward, Cindy Wang Brandt shows us how to respect children, nurture creativity, and encourage their flourishing. Wisdom shines through on every page.

Rev. Carol Howard Merritt

Author of Healing Spiritual Wounds

For many years, Cindy Brandt has done outstanding work on creating excellent resources and support for parents who are unraveling from unhealthy faith systems they were once part of and create a different future for their children.

Kathy Escobar

Co-Pastor of The Refuge and author of Faith Shift: Finding Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe is Coming Apart

White parents play a critical role in dismantling racism in their own families not only because it is the morally just thing to do, but also for the sake of providing white children with a healthy self identity—one that is capable of navigating social relationships in a complex, multi-ethnic world.

— Cindy Wang Brandt