The Center for the theology of childhood

The Center for the Theology of Childhood is committed to nurturing children’s spiritual lives by centering children’s spirituality in the academy and supporting the practice of Godly Play across the globe.  The Rev. Dr. Cheryl V. Minor, PhD, was named Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood in 2016. Dr. Minor directs and coordinates the activities of the Center with the support of the Center’s Senior Fellow, Founder Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman.

The Center offers both virtual and physical spaces to facilitate research. The Center’s physical spaces include a library, an archive, and Dr. Berryman’s original Godly Play room. The library is home to over 4,000 books related to Godly Play. The collection includes resources from a variety of fields that inform the practice of Godly Play, including classical theology, mystical theology, philosophy (especially the existentialists), ethics, child development, Montessori, play, silence, laughter, tears, religious education, and the history of childhood. The archive houses a collection of Jerome Berryman’s publications and essential historical documents related to Godly Play and the Foundation. Dr. Berryman’s original Godly Play room, hosted by St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in South Denver, serves as a sacred space for parish children to experience Godly Play every Sunday.

The Director

The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood. Dr. Minor has a degree in Music Education from Boston University, an MDiv. from Virginia Theological Seminary and a PhD in Psychology from Northcentral University in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her dissertation examined Godly Play's impact on children's spiritual well-being. 

Dr. Minor was the Consulting Editor for Volumes 6, 7, and 8 of The Complete Guide to Godly Play, the newly revised edition of Teaching Godly Play. She was also the consulting editor on the revisions of The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volumes 2, 3, 4, 6, and now 8. Dr. Minor published Godly Play in Late and Middle Childhood in 2022. Her most recent academic articles were published in Religious Education and  International Journal of Children’s Spirituality  

Dr. Minor is an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts. She and her husband, Paul Minor, have been Co-Rectors of All Saints’ Church in Belmont for over twenty years. Before serving in Belmont, they served churches in Manhattan and Philadelphia. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.

In Philadelphia, Dr. Minor discovered Godly Play and, she says, “found her life’s work!” She became a Godly Play Trainer in July, 2000. One of the perks of being a Co-Rector is that at least twice a month (and often more) she gets to be on the floor telling Godly Play stories to the children at All Saints’ while her husband takes care of the adults.
All Saints also hosts a Montessori School, which means children surround Cheryl on a daily basis. This time with the children inspires her and centers them in all that she does.

Research Assistant

Hannah Sutton-Adams has served as the research assistant for the Center for the Theology of Childhood since 2021. She is a Ph.D. candidate at Boston College and a board-certified chaplain. Hannah’s dissertation explores the Godly Play Method as a response to individuals impacted by religious trauma and abuse. She is also a Godly Play storyteller.