Families and Faith

[T]he authors' research reminds us that family and faith are deeply entwined and that strengthening the bond of one may strengthen the continuity of the other * Wall Street Journal *
An important contribution to the much discussed phenomenon of intergenerational religious transmission the book manages the rare feat of being both very nuanced in its portrayal and very readable and compelling for a diverse target audience. * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *
Bengtson...has used excellent sources as well as research methods in demonstrating the changing relationship between families and their religion over generations... Recommended. * CHOICE *
What if we could study the transmission of faith for four generations spanning 35 years? What would we learn about what practices do (and do not) effectively pass on the faith? In this brilliantly researched study of over 3000 subjects and over 300 multi-generational families, Vern Bengtson turns some of the most widely accepted conventional wisdom about faith transmission on its ear. Written in a warm, engaging style, this book is a must read for parents, grandparents, and leaders who long to see faith faithfully passed on to the coming generations. * Mark DeVries, Founder, Youth Ministry Architects; Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families, First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee *
Research on the religious and spiritual lives of American young people and on the transmission of religious faith across generations has grown tremendously in recent years. Families and Faith makes a major and very impressive contribution to our knowledge in these areas, using data across multiple generations to shed light on processes at work over long stretches of time. This is now one of the best books on the market in this general area of study. I highly recommend it. * Christian Smith, author of Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults *
Vern Bengtson's Families and Faith is an important contribution to our understanding of how faith is or isn't transmitted within families across generations. It charts changes and continuities across the various generations over the past century and is full of new insights that challenge many of our taken-for-granted assumptions. An excellent empirical study. * Wade Clark Roof, J.F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society Emeritus, Research Professor, University of California at Santa Barbara *
As Bengtson puts it, we experience continuity and change. Those two realities - faiths are transmitted but also evolve over time - matter beyond our own homes. Religion and families are two of the most stabilizing forces in society. For that reason alone, this book and Bengtson's findings are worth examining. * William McKenzie, The Weekly Standard *
Those who are curious about intergenerational religious perpetuity may enjoy reading Vern Bengtson's latest book, Families and Faith. * Sociology of Religion *
I devoured this book in two sittings... [I]t certainly is engagingly written, and will doubtless appeal to students and thus make a very good accompaniment to courses on religion... The book addresses, spot on, the most important question about religion that sociologists can be asking. And it pursues the question in a rigorous way. * Contemporary Sociology *
For several decades, Vern Bengtson's research has helped define how family factors influence religiosity across the life course, and in Families and Faith, he and his colleagues go well beyond their previous examinations to give a detailed qualitative and quantitative portrait of the dynamic relationship between family and faith... Overall, Families and Faith is the most important empirical study on religion and family published in several decades. The analyses are solid and clearly presented, and the qualitative data complement the quantitative analyses and make the book an interesting read. It is an essential text for any serious researcher and should be required reading in any graduate course on on religion and family. The clear presentation and mixed methodology make it an excellent text for undergraduate courses on religion or family. * American Journal of Sociology *
Readers would benefitfrom a critical eye on the book’s conclusions, beginning with the possibility thattransmitting anything might well be questioned as a lesser goal compared to the higher calling of helping those of each generation construct a faith identity that connects them with a living God experientially. * Susanna Steeg, International Journal of Christianity & Education *
solid research findings with much to ponder ... It deserves thoughtful consideration. * James J. Ponzetti, INTAMS *