Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation

by Christian Smith, Amy Adamczyk

A new examination of how and why American religious parents seek to pass on religion to their children

The most important influence shaping the religious and spiritual lives of children, youth, and teenagers is their parents. A myriad of studies show that the parents of American youth play the leading role in shaping the character of their religious and spiritual lives, even well after they leave
home and often for the rest of their lives. We know a lot about the importance of parents in faith transmission. However we know much less about the actual beliefs, feelings, and activities of the parents themselves, what Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk call the intergenerational transmission of
religious faith and practice. To address that gap, this book reports the findings of a new national study of religious parents in the United States. The findings and conclusions in Handing Down the Faith are based on 215 in-depth, personal interviews with religious parents from many traditions and
different parts of the country, and sophisticated analyses of two nationally representative surveys of American parents about their religious parenting.

Handing Down the Faith explores the background beliefs informing how and why religious parents seek to pass on religion to their children; examines how parenting styles interact with parent religiousness to shape effective religious transmission; shows how parents have been influenced by their
experiences as children influenced by their own parents; reveals how religious parents view their congregations and what they most seek out in a local church, synagogue, temple, or mosque; explores the experiences and outlooks of immigrant parents including Latino Catholics, East Asian Buddhists,
South Asian Muslims, and Indian Hindus. Smith and Adamczyk step back to consider how American religion has transformed over the last 100 years and to explain why parents today shoulder such a huge responsibility in transmitting religious faith and practice to their children. The book is rich in
empirical evidence and unique in many of the topics it explores and explains, providing a variety of sometimes counterintuitive findings that will interest scholars of religion, social scientists interested in the family, parenting, and socialization; clergy and religious educators and leaders; and
religious parents themselves.

Genres: Parenting, Christianity, Religion, Faith, Family, Sociology, Christian

264 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 2020

About the author

Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. Smith's research focuses primarily on religion in modernity, adolescents, American evangelicalism, and culture.

Reviews

[Christian Raab, OSB · Rating 5 out of 5]

While some may be attracted to this book as a how-to spiritual manual for the domestic church, it is actually a scholarly book in the field of sociology and reads as such. If you want a distillation of the conclusions, seek out Christian Smith's article in First Things entitled "Keeping the Faith" (May 2021). Then, if you want the scholarly stuff, all the hard data that leads to those conclusions, read this book. With that said, it is an important book. Smith spent years studying religious practices and disaffiliation among young youth and young adults. This led him to interest in the question of transmission of religious practice and identity through parenting, the subject of this text. From a pastoral angle, the book is illuminating. It establishes solidly that parents, more than any other agents, are the key determiners of religious faith and whether it passes from generation to generation. Smith's study shows what factors lead to and which ones inhibit transmission. He also explains why this is the case now more than ever due to wider changes in culture. While parents may be interested in this book and its findings, I think it, or at least Smith's article in First Things, really needs to be read by pastors, ministers, etc. It will help them understand that unless the family is addressed, evangelization is just a band-aid to a hemorrhaging wound.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm actually only halfway through but I'm giving up on the book lol. It's an academical work on sociology. I don't think it really discusses "handing down the faith," just "handing down religious practices." The authors don't really look at faith as a set of value and beliefs, just customs and practices. They did strongly re-emphasize previous research's findings on how parens play a major role in influencing an individual's religious practices, and how talking to children about religion in her daily life influence children in continuing on these religious practices. I thought this was going to be a book that informs me "how" to hand down my faith to my children. So there's a gap in expectation and I don't think I'm going to continue with this book lol

[Norman Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If there were only one practical take-away from our research, it would be this: parents need not only to “walk the walk“ but also regularly to talk with their children about their walk, what it means, why it matters, why they care” (p. 225)

[Stephen Giles]

I read/listened to about 80-90% of this. A helpful, although not particularly encouraging, insight into how religious parents actually think about their task of raising children, the role/purpose of faith, the purpose of life, etc.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a survey of beliefs surrounding religious transmission by parents in America. The book does not focus on particulars of practices, but more the beliefs that lie behind the practices. Big three things to conclude from book:

1. Most religious families in America are concerned with the social realities and benefits of religion when it comes to transmission over doctrinal commitments.

2. Authoritative parenting styles tend to transmit their faith (or lack of faith) more effectively than Authoritarian, Permissive, or Disengaged parenting styles.

3. Most religious families do not look to their religious congregation as primary in religious transmission, but congregations are seen as secondary partners that are meant to provide basic religious instruction and social connection.

Not a particularly encouraging book (the lack of any transcendental or doctrinal concerns is incredible, even with the expectation that religion would be a minor note for most), but there are a number of insights helpful for thinking through how people in America are engaging with training up the next generation.

[Meredith Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian Smith has been so influential in his formulation of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, that I wanted to read a larger work by him. I also have an interest in how families of origin form who we are, but I thought this work was uninformative and boring. Maybe it’s considered great sociological research; I wouldn’t know. The fact that it kept trying to equate Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, evangelicals, etc as if they’re all trying to do the same thing, was annoying. There were some good reminders of how parents who are warm
& personable tend to pass down their faith better than parents who are controlling (authoritative vs. authoritarian parenting styles), but that could’ve been said in 3 paragraphs.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone who picks up this book needs to understand this is a dense, scholarly, intellectual work of sociology. However, as someone who works with students pastorally, the data in this book is fascinating! The first 100 pages are worth the price of the book. They corroborate the claim that parents BY FAR hold the most influence in the spiritual lives of children/students. Nothing else really comes close. That fact alone can help some clergy refocus certain efforts but its worth considering the data as well to observe how different faiths consider this topic as well.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a data-heavy sociological survey and quite good.

Spoiler alert: parents' religious practices are more likely to be maintained by the children if the parents are (1) Mormon or Black Protestant, (2) themselves actively religious, especially the father, (3) daily family religious discussions, (3) grandparents who believe.

Least likely: (1) Jewish, (2) parents themselves are disengaged.

[Wade Rials · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the easiest read, but well worth the effort. Although not explicitly Christian, the research laid out makes a strong case that the single greatest contributor to handing down the faith goes beyond simply taking children to a religious service. The practical everyday conversations at home are the most important characteristics of passing down one’s faith.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful for parents and religious institutions

As a religious educator and grandparent, there is so much to learn about how faith is passed on. This is not an author’s opinion but well documented research. So many implications for ministry at church and in the home. It’s a deep dive to consider and think about.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reads like a thesis/dissertation, so reader beware: It is an analysis of data, not a "how to" or encouragement type of book (it is primarily a book about a series of interviews given to parents of various religions in which said parents self-report the way they religiously-raise children). While it is interesting, the reader interested in advice can skip to the very end for some general findings.

[Scott Moshier · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of important content about ways to influence your children's faith. Since it's a sociology book, it's pretty technical. I would recommend reading Smith's summary of the book in First Things before purchasing. https://www.firstthings.com/article/2...

[Joseph Sverker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and well researched. It came to me as a surprise that parents have such a significant role for passing on religion. Would be interesting to know how different it would be in Europe, if at all.

[Christine V. Hides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newest research on parenting and faith upends some long-held assumptions of Christian educators. In particular, this book challenges the notion that parents don't feel equipped to talk about faith with their children. The section on parenting style and faith is especially interesting.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read especially for religious leaders who want to equip families.