Our slides from the Future of Faith Formation Digital Interview with Vern Bengtson from USC.

2. Overview
• A 35-year study of families and generations
• Influence of parents & grandparents on religion
• Are families still passing on their faith?
1

3. Still, religion is pervasive in
American society
• Religion is still important to most Americans
– 92% of Americans say they believe in God
– 68% of British
– 32% of Swedes
• 72 % of Americans say they pray daily
• 56% say that religion is “very important” in their lives
Sources: Zuckerman (2012); Pew (2013)
How important is religion in families?
2

4. 3
We conducted a study
based on 35 years of
data on families to
find out.
The book received a
surprising response
from the media.

5. 4
1-27-14: “Mothers
and fathers often
throw up their
hands and let
popular culture take
over, but parents
have greater moral
and religious
influence than they
think.”

6. 5
2-1-14:Parental
bonds prove
more important
than their
practices or
piety in passing
on religious
values.”

7. Parents and value transmission
Contrary to expectations, our data showed that
parents had substantial influence on Millennials’
religious orientations.
6

8. 7
Figure 1. Similarity Between Parents & Young Adult Children
on Four Dimensions of Religiosity, 2005 (Standardized coefficients)
0.32
0.58
0.49
0.43
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Religious Intensity Religious Participation Biblical Literalism Civic Religiosity
2005

9. Furthermore, there did not appear to have been a
decline in transmission over time: coefficients of
similarity were the same in 2005 as in 1970.
8

10. 9
Figure 2. Similarity Between Parents & Young Adult Children
on Four Dimensions of Religiosity, 1970 (red bar) and 2005 (yellow)
0.41
0.59
0.54
0.44
0.32
0.58
0.49
0.43
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Religious Intensity Religious Participation Biblical Literalism Civic Religiosity

11. As we examined factors associated with high
parental influence, we found that emotional bonds
were key—particularly a warm relationship with a
father.
10

12. 11
Figure 3. Similarity Between Parents and Young Adult Children By Close
versus Not Close Relationship, 2005
0.52
0.68
0.63
0.57
0.26
0.3
0.44
0.37
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
Religious Intensity Religious
Participation
Biblical Literalism Civic Religiosity
Close
Not Close

13. 12
Low High
Child'sReligiousness
Parent's Religiousness
Low Closeness
High Closeness
Figure 4. A Close Parent-child Relationship Increases Transmission of
Religious Values

14. As families are changing in America, it is increasingly
important to look beyond the nuclear family.
Grandparents have an influence, and we found their
effects on the religious values of Millennials to be
lasting.
13

15. 14
Figure 5. Similarity between Grandparents and Grandchildren, 2005
0.20
0.21
0.31
0.27
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
Religious Identity Religious Participaion Biblical Literalism Civic Religiosity

16. • Perhaps even more surprising…
The degree of grandparental influence on
grandchildren's religiosity does not appear to
have declined since the 1960s.
15

17. 16
Figure 6. Similarity Between Grandparents and Grandchildren,1970 (G1-G3)
and 2005 (G2-G4)
0.18
0.26
0.27
0.26
0.2
0.21
0.31
0.27
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
Religious Identity Religious
Participaion
Biblical Literalism Civic Religiosity
1977
2005

18. Intergenerational Religious
Momentum

19. 1. Is there a “crisis” in family
values today?
No.
• Family bonds and family influences are strong
• Multi-generational bonds may be stronger than ever before
• The reason: “Longer years of linked lives” between parents
and children, grandparents and grandchildren, than before
18

20. 2. Is there a “generation gap” in
values and religion today?
No.
• In religious values and beliefs, there are substantial
generational similarities in religion, except for church
affiliation
• Polls about “nones” equate religion with belonging to a
church—but there’s more to religion than that
• “I’m spiritual but not religious”: Many youth who reject
churches are still religiously oriented
19

21. 3. Are parents failing to pass on
their faith to children?
No.
• In religious values and beliefs, a minority of young
adults are different than the parents
• Quality—closeness-- of the parent-child relationship is
particularly important to passing on values
• Parental influence is not significantly less than it was a
generation ago
20

22. 4. Are grandparents relevant?
Yes.
• We must look beyond the nuclear family; grandparents are
more relevant to family functioning than ever before
• Grandparent influence on children’s religious outcomes is
surprisingly high, and it has not diminished since the
1970’s
21

23. 22