Lisa Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Drawing on the massive National Study of Youth and Religion’s telephone surveys and more than 120 in-depth interviews, the authors chart the spiritual trajectory of American adolescents and young ...
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Drawing on the massive National Study of Youth and Religion’s telephone surveys and more than 120 in-depth interviews, the authors chart the spiritual trajectory of American adolescents and young adults over a period of three years. Turning conventional wisdom on its head, the authors find that religion is an important force in the lives of most—though their involvement with religion changes over time, just as teenagers themselves do. Pearce and Denton weave in fascinating portraits of youth to give depth to mere numerical rankings of religiosity, which tend to prevail in large studies. One teenager might rarely attend a service, yet count herself profoundly religious; another might be deeply involved in a church’s social world, yet claim to be “not, like, deep into the faith.” They provide a new set of qualitative categories—Abiders, Assenters, Adapters, Avoiders, and Atheists—quoting from interviews to illuminate the shading between them. And, with their longitudinal survey, they offer a rich understanding of the dynamic nature of faith in young people’s lives during a period of rapid change in biology, personality, and social interaction. Not only do degrees of religiosity change, but so does its nature, whether expressed in institutional practices or personal belief. By presenting a new model of religious development and change, illustrated with compelling personal accounts of real teenagers, Pearce and Denton offer parents and religious leaders a new guide for understanding religious development in youth.Less
Drawing on the massive National Study of Youth and Religion’s telephone surveys and more than 120 in-depth interviews, the authors chart the spiritual trajectory of American adolescents and young adults over a period of three years. Turning conventional wisdom on its head, the authors find that religion is an important force in the lives of most—though their involvement with religion changes over time, just as teenagers themselves do. Pearce and Denton weave in fascinating portraits of youth to give depth to mere numerical rankings of religiosity, which tend to prevail in large studies. One teenager might rarely attend a service, yet count herself profoundly religious; another might be deeply involved in a church’s social world, yet claim to be “not, like, deep into the faith.” They provide a new set of qualitative categories—Abiders, Assenters, Adapters, Avoiders, and Atheists—quoting from interviews to illuminate the shading between them. And, with their longitudinal survey, they offer a rich understanding of the dynamic nature of faith in young people’s lives during a period of rapid change in biology, personality, and social interaction. Not only do degrees of religiosity change, but so does its nature, whether expressed in institutional practices or personal belief. By presenting a new model of religious development and change, illustrated with compelling personal accounts of real teenagers, Pearce and Denton offer parents and religious leaders a new guide for understanding religious development in youth.
Catherine Bell (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195176452
- eISBN:
- 9780199785308
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195176452.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Many teachers share an interest in bringing a better appreciation of ritual into their religious studies classes, but are uncertain how to do it. Religious studies faculty know how to teach texts, ...
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Many teachers share an interest in bringing a better appreciation of ritual into their religious studies classes, but are uncertain how to do it. Religious studies faculty know how to teach texts, but they often have difficulty teaching something for which the meaning lies in the doing. How do you teach such “doing”? How much need be done? How does the teacher talk about the religiosity that exists in personalized relationships, not textual descriptions or prescriptions? These practical issues also give rise to theoretical questions. Giving more attention to ritual effectively suggests a reinterpretation of religion itself — an understanding less focused on what people have thought and written, and more focused on how they engage their universe. Many useful analyses of ritual derive from anthropological and sociological premises, which may be foreign to religious studies faculties and even seen by some as theologically problematic. This book addresses the issues specific to teaching this subject. The chapter contributors explain what has worked for them in the classroom, what has not, and what they have learned from the experience of being more real about religion.Less
Many teachers share an interest in bringing a better appreciation of ritual into their religious studies classes, but are uncertain how to do it. Religious studies faculty know how to teach texts, but they often have difficulty teaching something for which the meaning lies in the doing. How do you teach such “doing”? How much need be done? How does the teacher talk about the religiosity that exists in personalized relationships, not textual descriptions or prescriptions? These practical issues also give rise to theoretical questions. Giving more attention to ritual effectively suggests a reinterpretation of religion itself — an understanding less focused on what people have thought and written, and more focused on how they engage their universe. Many useful analyses of ritual derive from anthropological and sociological premises, which may be foreign to religious studies faculties and even seen by some as theologically problematic. This book addresses the issues specific to teaching this subject. The chapter contributors explain what has worked for them in the classroom, what has not, and what they have learned from the experience of being more real about religion.
Vasudha Narayanan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195177060
- eISBN:
- 9780199785438
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177060.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
This chapter addresses the expression of Hindu women's religiosity through music and dance. It is argued that in contemporary Hinduism the performing arts, which are essentially forms of religious ...
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This chapter addresses the expression of Hindu women's religiosity through music and dance. It is argued that in contemporary Hinduism the performing arts, which are essentially forms of religious performance, may serve as vehicles not only for women's religious expression, but also for dynamic social commentary and reform. Examples include dancers like Mallika Sarabhai and Chandralekha, who use dance to highlight women's issues and to express themes of anguish and strength. As authors, performers, and consumers of the performing arts, women may engage music and dance both to express their own subjectivities and to help effect social change.Less
This chapter addresses the expression of Hindu women's religiosity through music and dance. It is argued that in contemporary Hinduism the performing arts, which are essentially forms of religious performance, may serve as vehicles not only for women's religious expression, but also for dynamic social commentary and reform. Examples include dancers like Mallika Sarabhai and Chandralekha, who use dance to highlight women's issues and to express themes of anguish and strength. As authors, performers, and consumers of the performing arts, women may engage music and dance both to express their own subjectivities and to help effect social change.
Mark Chaves
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691146850
- eISBN:
- 9781400839957
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691146850.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This concluding chapter argues that based on the religious trends documented in this book, no indicator of traditional religious belief or practice is going up. There is much continuity and some ...
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This concluding chapter argues that based on the religious trends documented in this book, no indicator of traditional religious belief or practice is going up. There is much continuity and some decline. There is more religious diversity, there are shifting fortunes for liberal and conservative Protestant denominations, and there are troubling signs about the state of religious leadership. Moreover, changes are occurring inside congregations, and there is a tighter connection between religious service attendance and political, social, and religious conservatism. There is also more diffuse spirituality, but this diffuse spirituality should not be mistaken for an increase in traditional religiosity. As such, if there is a trend, it is toward less religion.Less
This concluding chapter argues that based on the religious trends documented in this book, no indicator of traditional religious belief or practice is going up. There is much continuity and some decline. There is more religious diversity, there are shifting fortunes for liberal and conservative Protestant denominations, and there are troubling signs about the state of religious leadership. Moreover, changes are occurring inside congregations, and there is a tighter connection between religious service attendance and political, social, and religious conservatism. There is also more diffuse spirituality, but this diffuse spirituality should not be mistaken for an increase in traditional religiosity. As such, if there is a trend, it is toward less religion.
Kaspar Von Greyerz and Thomas Dunlap
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195327656
- eISBN:
- 9780199851478
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195327656.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The world of early modern religiosity in the second half of the eighteenth century described in this book experienced a profound transformation that made it forever a part of history. The ...
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The world of early modern religiosity in the second half of the eighteenth century described in this book experienced a profound transformation that made it forever a part of history. The repercussions of the French revolution accelerated the transformation in western and central Europe, and in Italy. The mass religiosity of the nineteenth century played its part in ensuring that confessional stereotypes of judgment and behavior persisted into the second half of the twentieth century. New religious movements outside the churches have provided further proof that secularization in the modern world by no means led to the final disappearance of religious meaning and religious constructs in individual and collective life in the 1980s and 1990s.Less
The world of early modern religiosity in the second half of the eighteenth century described in this book experienced a profound transformation that made it forever a part of history. The repercussions of the French revolution accelerated the transformation in western and central Europe, and in Italy. The mass religiosity of the nineteenth century played its part in ensuring that confessional stereotypes of judgment and behavior persisted into the second half of the twentieth century. New religious movements outside the churches have provided further proof that secularization in the modern world by no means led to the final disappearance of religious meaning and religious constructs in individual and collective life in the 1980s and 1990s.
Sami Borg
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0016
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the ...
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This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the impact of two value orientations (materialist/post‐materialist and religious‐secular) on the decision to vote (without regard to the choice of party to vote for), and to compare this with the impact of traditional socio‐economic factors. The findings suggest that while post‐materialist values have little effect, at least some part of the decline in voter turnout is attributable to the weakening of religious orientations in Western Europe.Less
This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the impact of two value orientations (materialist/post‐materialist and religious‐secular) on the decision to vote (without regard to the choice of party to vote for), and to compare this with the impact of traditional socio‐economic factors. The findings suggest that while post‐materialist values have little effect, at least some part of the decline in voter turnout is attributable to the weakening of religious orientations in Western Europe.
Wolfgang Jagodzinski and Karel Dobbelaere
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter investigates statistical evidence regarding the fall‐off in church membership and attendance, which has taken place across Western Europe since World War II, and analyses variations ...
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This chapter investigates statistical evidence regarding the fall‐off in church membership and attendance, which has taken place across Western Europe since World War II, and analyses variations between countries. It tentatively concludes that the pace of the process of church disengagement is linked to rationalization of society and the advance of Protestantism, which has led to a relegation of religion as an à la carte set of options, weakening its traditional guidelines on political questions. With religiously inspired deference fading away, political leaders may have more difficulty mustering support for the institutions of government.Less
This chapter investigates statistical evidence regarding the fall‐off in church membership and attendance, which has taken place across Western Europe since World War II, and analyses variations between countries. It tentatively concludes that the pace of the process of church disengagement is linked to rationalization of society and the advance of Protestantism, which has led to a relegation of religion as an à la carte set of options, weakening its traditional guidelines on political questions. With religiously inspired deference fading away, political leaders may have more difficulty mustering support for the institutions of government.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Following the same youth over about three years of their adolescence, this chapter examines various dynamics in religiosity during adolescence. First, it looks at average change as well as individual ...
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Following the same youth over about three years of their adolescence, this chapter examines various dynamics in religiosity during adolescence. First, it looks at average change as well as individual trajectories in multiple measures of three dimensions of religiosity: conduct, content, and centrality. Then, combining these measures to consider religiosity more holistically, the chapter considers the likelihood of an adolescent’s changing religious profiles over time. Quotes from youth who typify the five most common types of religious change in adolescence are provided to illustrate these dynamics. This chapter reveals a reasonable degree of stability in adolescent religiosity, but describes the moderate refinements that often take place usually involving decreases, but sometimes increases, in certain dimensions of religiosity.Less
Following the same youth over about three years of their adolescence, this chapter examines various dynamics in religiosity during adolescence. First, it looks at average change as well as individual trajectories in multiple measures of three dimensions of religiosity: conduct, content, and centrality. Then, combining these measures to consider religiosity more holistically, the chapter considers the likelihood of an adolescent’s changing religious profiles over time. Quotes from youth who typify the five most common types of religious change in adolescence are provided to illustrate these dynamics. This chapter reveals a reasonable degree of stability in adolescent religiosity, but describes the moderate refinements that often take place usually involving decreases, but sometimes increases, in certain dimensions of religiosity.
Mark Chaves
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691146850
- eISBN:
- 9781400839957
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691146850.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter describes another important trend involving religion, liberalism, and conservatism. Actively religious Americans are more politically and socially conservative than less religious ...
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This chapter describes another important trend involving religion, liberalism, and conservatism. Actively religious Americans are more politically and socially conservative than less religious Americans. Regular churchgoing, moreover, now correlates even more strongly with some types of political and social conservatism than it did several decades ago. Rather than being associated with a particular type of religion, certain kinds of political and social conservatism have become more tightly linked to religiosity itself. As such, the most and least religiously active people are further apart attitudinally than they were several decades ago, but this trend does not yet warrant a declaration of culture war.Less
This chapter describes another important trend involving religion, liberalism, and conservatism. Actively religious Americans are more politically and socially conservative than less religious Americans. Regular churchgoing, moreover, now correlates even more strongly with some types of political and social conservatism than it did several decades ago. Rather than being associated with a particular type of religion, certain kinds of political and social conservatism have become more tightly linked to religiosity itself. As such, the most and least religiously active people are further apart attitudinally than they were several decades ago, but this trend does not yet warrant a declaration of culture war.
Robert B. Louden
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195321371
- eISBN:
- 9780199869787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195321371.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter seeks to challenge the myth of the antireligious Enlightenment by presenting an account of Enlightenment religiosity, an account anchored by three core ideas shared by a wide number of ...
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This chapter seeks to challenge the myth of the antireligious Enlightenment by presenting an account of Enlightenment religiosity, an account anchored by three core ideas shared by a wide number of Enlightenment intellectuals from different countries. These include the unity thesis, morality thesis, and toleration.Less
This chapter seeks to challenge the myth of the antireligious Enlightenment by presenting an account of Enlightenment religiosity, an account anchored by three core ideas shared by a wide number of Enlightenment intellectuals from different countries. These include the unity thesis, morality thesis, and toleration.
Robert B. Louden
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195321371
- eISBN:
- 9780199869787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195321371.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter examines the shape of contemporary religiosity with respect to the three identifying characteristics of Enlightenment religiosity: the unity thesis, the morality thesis, and toleration. ...
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This chapter examines the shape of contemporary religiosity with respect to the three identifying characteristics of Enlightenment religiosity: the unity thesis, the morality thesis, and toleration. These observations and comments are then used to support the claim that the spirit of Enlightenment religiosity, suitably tempered by two hundred years' hindsight, has much to offer us.Less
This chapter examines the shape of contemporary religiosity with respect to the three identifying characteristics of Enlightenment religiosity: the unity thesis, the morality thesis, and toleration. These observations and comments are then used to support the claim that the spirit of Enlightenment religiosity, suitably tempered by two hundred years' hindsight, has much to offer us.
Curtis J. Evans
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328189
- eISBN:
- 9780199870028
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328189.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Sociologists, black and white, set out in the 1940s to bury residual notions of blacks as naturally religious. Innate religiosity now connoted essential racial difference and an obstacle to black ...
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Sociologists, black and white, set out in the 1940s to bury residual notions of blacks as naturally religious. Innate religiosity now connoted essential racial difference and an obstacle to black assimilation into the white mainstream. Yet as black and white interpreters abandoned biological theories of racial difference they began emphasizing distinctive features of black culture as peculiarities that needed to be shed and the new sociological framework focused on cultural pathology as the central feature of black life in the urban North. As black critics became more disillusioned with this dour view of black life, reassertions of black romantic racialism in the more secular language of a black “soul” movement found a broader audience. Black religion lost its former salience as urbanization became increasingly seen as the crucible that ended persisting notions of black innate religiosity.Less
Sociologists, black and white, set out in the 1940s to bury residual notions of blacks as naturally religious. Innate religiosity now connoted essential racial difference and an obstacle to black assimilation into the white mainstream. Yet as black and white interpreters abandoned biological theories of racial difference they began emphasizing distinctive features of black culture as peculiarities that needed to be shed and the new sociological framework focused on cultural pathology as the central feature of black life in the urban North. As black critics became more disillusioned with this dour view of black life, reassertions of black romantic racialism in the more secular language of a black “soul” movement found a broader audience. Black religion lost its former salience as urbanization became increasingly seen as the crucible that ended persisting notions of black innate religiosity.
Mark Chaves
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691146850
- eISBN:
- 9781400839957
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691146850.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This introductory chapter discusses the continuity in American religiosity between 1972 and 2008. Some might see American optimism reflected in the fact that more people believe in heaven than in ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the continuity in American religiosity between 1972 and 2008. Some might see American optimism reflected in the fact that more people believe in heaven than in hell. Others might see American individualism reflected in the fact that more people think that God is concerned about human beings personally than say that they know God exists, or in the fact that following one's conscience ranks higher than following the teachings of one's religion on the list of what it means to be a good Christian or Jew. The chapter emphasizes that these items all share the remarkable characteristic that none of them has changed much in recent decades. By world standards, Americans remain remarkably religious in both belief and practice.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the continuity in American religiosity between 1972 and 2008. Some might see American optimism reflected in the fact that more people believe in heaven than in hell. Others might see American individualism reflected in the fact that more people think that God is concerned about human beings personally than say that they know God exists, or in the fact that following one's conscience ranks higher than following the teachings of one's religion on the list of what it means to be a good Christian or Jew. The chapter emphasizes that these items all share the remarkable characteristic that none of them has changed much in recent decades. By world standards, Americans remain remarkably religious in both belief and practice.
Gary L. Wenk
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195388541
- eISBN:
- 9780199863587
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388541.003.0004
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroendocrine and Autonomic
The consumption of many different plants by our ancestors lead to the discovery of the important role played by the neurotransmitter serotonin in your brain. Chemicals in these plants that interfere ...
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The consumption of many different plants by our ancestors lead to the discovery of the important role played by the neurotransmitter serotonin in your brain. Chemicals in these plants that interfere with the function of serotonin can produce vivid and colorful hallucinations, migraine headaches, anxiety, depression, sleep, and death. Consumption of grain or corn that is contaminated with an ergot fungus may have been responsible for the death of thousands of people in ancient Europe while the consumption of mushrooms in ancient Mexico may have lead to the appearance of various religious ceremonies that defined specific cultures. The merging and mixing of sensory processes, for example, sights that produce sounds or smells that have color, must have been very frightening to our ancestors. The experience often took on a mystical or religious interpretation in order to make sense of what we now call a hallucination. It is possible that ritualistic manipulation of serotonin neurons in the brain played a role in the individual expressions of religiosity across cultures. Today, we mostly focus upon the role of serotonin in the control of mood and migraines.Less
The consumption of many different plants by our ancestors lead to the discovery of the important role played by the neurotransmitter serotonin in your brain. Chemicals in these plants that interfere with the function of serotonin can produce vivid and colorful hallucinations, migraine headaches, anxiety, depression, sleep, and death. Consumption of grain or corn that is contaminated with an ergot fungus may have been responsible for the death of thousands of people in ancient Europe while the consumption of mushrooms in ancient Mexico may have lead to the appearance of various religious ceremonies that defined specific cultures. The merging and mixing of sensory processes, for example, sights that produce sounds or smells that have color, must have been very frightening to our ancestors. The experience often took on a mystical or religious interpretation in order to make sense of what we now call a hallucination. It is possible that ritualistic manipulation of serotonin neurons in the brain played a role in the individual expressions of religiosity across cultures. Today, we mostly focus upon the role of serotonin in the control of mood and migraines.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0000
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This first chapter introduces the main themes of the book through quotes from two girls that were interviewed in 2003 and then again in 2005. The survey and semi-structured interview data from the ...
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This first chapter introduces the main themes of the book through quotes from two girls that were interviewed in 2003 and then again in 2005. The survey and semi-structured interview data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, on which the book’s analyses are based, are described. Finally, a road map for the subsequent chapters describing the contours and dynamics of adolescent religiosity is presented.Less
This first chapter introduces the main themes of the book through quotes from two girls that were interviewed in 2003 and then again in 2005. The survey and semi-structured interview data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, on which the book’s analyses are based, are described. Finally, a road map for the subsequent chapters describing the contours and dynamics of adolescent religiosity is presented.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter clarifies the meaning of individual religiosity, appropriate methods of analysis for religiosity’s multidimensional nature, and the social contexts in which adolescent religiosity ...
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This chapter clarifies the meaning of individual religiosity, appropriate methods of analysis for religiosity’s multidimensional nature, and the social contexts in which adolescent religiosity develop. Theoretical developments in the sociology of religion are reviewed to establish a sound conceptualization of religion. Next, the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological approaches are described. This leads to a discussion of the appropriateness of a person-based approach, as taken in this book, for studying the contours and dynamics of adolescent religiosity. The approach is illustrated through the introduction of a religious mosaic metaphor. The chapter ends by describing the social contexts, identities, and experiences in which these religious mosaics or profiles develop during adolescence, including family and peer contexts, religious institutions, sociodemographic characteristics, youth temperament, and unique life experiences.Less
This chapter clarifies the meaning of individual religiosity, appropriate methods of analysis for religiosity’s multidimensional nature, and the social contexts in which adolescent religiosity develop. Theoretical developments in the sociology of religion are reviewed to establish a sound conceptualization of religion. Next, the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological approaches are described. This leads to a discussion of the appropriateness of a person-based approach, as taken in this book, for studying the contours and dynamics of adolescent religiosity. The approach is illustrated through the introduction of a religious mosaic metaphor. The chapter ends by describing the social contexts, identities, and experiences in which these religious mosaics or profiles develop during adolescence, including family and peer contexts, religious institutions, sociodemographic characteristics, youth temperament, and unique life experiences.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Five profiles of religiosity that describe the landscape of adolescent religiosity in America are presented in this chapter: the Abiders, Adapters, Assenters, Avoiders, and Atheists. The five ...
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Five profiles of religiosity that describe the landscape of adolescent religiosity in America are presented in this chapter: the Abiders, Adapters, Assenters, Avoiders, and Atheists. The five profiles come from a latent class analysis conducted with the NSYR survey data, and the stories and quotes from five youth who participated in the NSYR semi-structured interviews are used to illustrate each profile in depth. Discussion of these five profiles of religiosity reveals that while there are some youth with religious profiles or mosaics that are characterized by very high religiosity in every dimension measured (Abiders), or very low religiosity in every dimension measured (Atheists), the other adolescents have pieced together religious mosaics that rely on certain dimensions of religion and not others. This chapter provides an enriched understanding of the forms of religiosity as lived by American adolescents.Less
Five profiles of religiosity that describe the landscape of adolescent religiosity in America are presented in this chapter: the Abiders, Adapters, Assenters, Avoiders, and Atheists. The five profiles come from a latent class analysis conducted with the NSYR survey data, and the stories and quotes from five youth who participated in the NSYR semi-structured interviews are used to illustrate each profile in depth. Discussion of these five profiles of religiosity reveals that while there are some youth with religious profiles or mosaics that are characterized by very high religiosity in every dimension measured (Abiders), or very low religiosity in every dimension measured (Atheists), the other adolescents have pieced together religious mosaics that rely on certain dimensions of religion and not others. This chapter provides an enriched understanding of the forms of religiosity as lived by American adolescents.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Having previously delineated the religious characteristics of the five profiles of religiosity presented throughout this book, this chapter describes other nonreligious characteristics of youth who ...
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Having previously delineated the religious characteristics of the five profiles of religiosity presented throughout this book, this chapter describes other nonreligious characteristics of youth who belong to each of the five classes. This provides more insight into the demographic characteristics of these youth and suggests how families, peers, and religious institutions may contribute to how youth live out their religiosity. The chapter also examines associations between membership in the five classes and outcomes such as deviant behavior, health, and well-being. In other words, this chapter investigates other life situations and characteristics that are related to how adolescents live out their religiosity.Less
Having previously delineated the religious characteristics of the five profiles of religiosity presented throughout this book, this chapter describes other nonreligious characteristics of youth who belong to each of the five classes. This provides more insight into the demographic characteristics of these youth and suggests how families, peers, and religious institutions may contribute to how youth live out their religiosity. The chapter also examines associations between membership in the five classes and outcomes such as deviant behavior, health, and well-being. In other words, this chapter investigates other life situations and characteristics that are related to how adolescents live out their religiosity.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Narratives of religious change in adolescence are the focus of this chapter. Included is an exploration of what youth mean when they say they have become more or less religious or stayed the same. ...
More
Narratives of religious change in adolescence are the focus of this chapter. Included is an exploration of what youth mean when they say they have become more or less religious or stayed the same. Few youth describe dynamics in their religiosity by referencing the content of their religious beliefs. A greater proportion discuss their religiosity in terms of religious conduct such as religious service attendance or prayer, but these are usually youth who are describing a decrease in religiosity during adolescence. Youth who rely on the centrality of religion in their life to describe stability or an increase in religiosity are (1) often the Abiders or Adapters who started with a very high level of religious salience and (2) at times report stability or increase in religiosity’s centrality despite decreasing religious conduct. In this period of life called adolescence, as autonomy grows and brain development continues, youth find increasing meaning and confidence in personally refining their religiosity.Less
Narratives of religious change in adolescence are the focus of this chapter. Included is an exploration of what youth mean when they say they have become more or less religious or stayed the same. Few youth describe dynamics in their religiosity by referencing the content of their religious beliefs. A greater proportion discuss their religiosity in terms of religious conduct such as religious service attendance or prayer, but these are usually youth who are describing a decrease in religiosity during adolescence. Youth who rely on the centrality of religion in their life to describe stability or an increase in religiosity are (1) often the Abiders or Adapters who started with a very high level of religious salience and (2) at times report stability or increase in religiosity’s centrality despite decreasing religious conduct. In this period of life called adolescence, as autonomy grows and brain development continues, youth find increasing meaning and confidence in personally refining their religiosity.
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199753895
- eISBN:
- 9780199894949
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753895.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter explores how three critical contexts of youth—family, peers, and religious institutions—can facilitate or pose barriers for religious refinement in adolescence. What appears to be the ...
More
This chapter explores how three critical contexts of youth—family, peers, and religious institutions—can facilitate or pose barriers for religious refinement in adolescence. What appears to be the most positive model is reminiscent of what other scholars have called “social scaffolding.” Scaffolding is providing support around the learning or development of youth, but leaving just enough space between the foundational scaffolding and where youth are in the process of developing their own religiosity. When youth know the support is there, but that they are free to further refine their faith relatively autonomously, they are more confident and happy in their religious and spiritual lives. When parents, peers, or religious institutions under- or over-scaffold, youth sense they are being misunderstood and often disengage from the process of religious refinement.Less
This chapter explores how three critical contexts of youth—family, peers, and religious institutions—can facilitate or pose barriers for religious refinement in adolescence. What appears to be the most positive model is reminiscent of what other scholars have called “social scaffolding.” Scaffolding is providing support around the learning or development of youth, but leaving just enough space between the foundational scaffolding and where youth are in the process of developing their own religiosity. When youth know the support is there, but that they are free to further refine their faith relatively autonomously, they are more confident and happy in their religious and spiritual lives. When parents, peers, or religious institutions under- or over-scaffold, youth sense they are being misunderstood and often disengage from the process of religious refinement.
