Childish

Is God a person like I am? How can the three persons of the Trinity be one God? Why are some people unlucky? Does God know the future? Why doesn’t God fix the world’s problems?

These are really tricky questions. And while priests and theologians may try to offer adults some answers, kids trying to think through these sorts of questions don’t always have a lot of help.

A new column, called Childish, wants to change that. Every few weeks, theologian Brandon Ambrosino publishes a short essay thinking through a different theological question. Unlike most theologies, though, these columns aren’t geared toward adults: Each column is written with the aim of inviting kids into the conversation.

Brandon Ambrosino collects vintage squeak toys and Koosh balls. He lives in Delaware with his husband, Andy, who is the funniest dentist you’ll ever meet. They live in an old farmhouse and have five god-babies and a lot of nieces and nephews. Brandon spends his time teaching and writing Christian theology. His writing has been published in the New York Times, Boston Globe, BBC, and in many other publications. He used to be a professional tap dancer, but now he just dances for fun in his garage. Brandon just finished 24th grade at Villanova University, which means some people now call him Dr. Brandon.

Sure, Brandon is a grownup (though he often forgets his actual age!), but he thinks he’s pretty good at talking with and learning from kids. Feel free to let him know what you think of his theological ideas. Do you agree or disagree with what he’s saying? Or maybe there’s another perspective you think he’s forgetting. Or maybe you have another question you’d like him to answer. You can reach Brandon through the U.S. Catholic email: editors@uscatholic.org.