David C Dollahite
Biographic Data
| ID | 113940 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David C Dollahite |
| GIVEN NAMES | David C |
| FAMILY NAME | Dollahite |
| SIGNATURE | DOLLAHITE D C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brigham Young University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7228-4848 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 81 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 336 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 81 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
In This Together: Employment and Household Labor Divisions Among Highly Religious Wives and Husbands
The division of labor in mixed-gender couples has been a popular research topic for several decades, including discussions about household labor, childcare, and paid employment. However, few studies have examined these processes as they apply to highly religious couples, whose perspectives on labor division show some evidence of diverging from those who are less devout. To better understand how successful mixed-gender, highly religious couples fr…
Husband as Head: Diverse Perspectives on Gendered Marital Hierarchy From Highly Religious Wives and Husbands
Although religious beliefs often connect with gendered hierarchy in social science research, religion also relates to numerous positive marital outcomes, and very few studies have examined religion and gendered hierarchy within intimate relationships. To bridge this divide, our study used a diverse, exemplar sample to explore how highly religious, heterosexual married couples view and navigate the possibility of gendered hierarchy. Interviews fro…
The Power of Humor in Strong African American Marriages: Laughing, Lifting, and Loving
Increasingly, scholars are growing more familiar with humor as a contributor to well-being and positive psychological out-comes. Humor has long been used as a means of positive psychological coping, hope, and community building, particularly within the African diaspora. Yet, to date, research has largely ignored the familial and relational benefits of humor for African American families. The present study addresses this gap with he in-depth quali…
Insights on Self-Perceptions, Coping, and Racism from Wives, Husbands, and Youth in Strong, Religious African American Families
Despite several deleterious systemic stressors, such as racism and financial strain, African Americans have often leaned on religion and resilience to establish strength in their personal and familial lives. Yet, there remains a significant need for more studies on exactly how African American individuals and families have utilized their resources to remain strong. Accordingly, the present study takes an in-depth look at 46 strong African America…
Positive Psychology in Strong Black Marriages: Optimism, Humility, Agency, Growth, and Faith
This article employs an intentionally strengths-focused approach by conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with 46 exemplary Black, married couples (N = 92 individuals; 46 wives, 46 husbands) to explore keys to their successful marriage relationships and family lives. This study focuses on two core themes: Growth Mindset – “We’re still learning. ... It’s a lifelong process.” and Elevated Perspectives – “It made me realize what is important.” …
Sources of Influence in Marriage and Parenting for Interfaith Couples
Interfaith marriages are increasingly common, yet research on their family dynamics and sources of influence in family functioning remains limited. Relatedly, although research highlights religion’s influence on family processes, most studies only include same-faith couples. Subsequently, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 32 happily married interfaith couples, examining their sources of guidance in marriage and parenting, reasons for r…
How Serving Others in Families and Faith Communities Strengthens African American Marriages
Existing research rarely notes how acts of service may inform and strengthen African American families. Using a strengths-based approach and a purposive sample of 46 exemplary, marriage-based, African American families, this study examines the processes associated with building relational strength through generosity and service to others. Narrative quotes were analyzed through systematic, team-based thematic coding procedures. Four core themes em…
How Nonreligious Parents Approach the (Non)Religious Socialization of Their Children
Despite the rapid growth of nonreligious individuals in the United States, limited research has focused on how nonreligious parents approach the (non)religious socialization of their children. We employed a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth interviews with 33 nonreligious couples ( N = 66 parents), through which we identified five themes: (1) parents openly sharing their beliefs, (2) encouraging religious exploration, (3) empha…
“We have hope”: An exploration of hope in highly religious families
Integrity and fidelity in highly religious marriages
Does Leaving Faith Mean Leaving Family? Longitudinal Associations Between Religious Identification and Parent-Child Relationships Across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
The present study investigated the parent-child relational repercussions of converting to religion, switching, or deconverting from religion. Qualitative research indicates that these religious changes may negatively affect parent-child relationship quality, however, few quantitative studies investigate this issue. Subsequently, we utilized structural equation modeling to test if changes in religious identification during adolescence and emerging…
Change in Financial Stress and Relational Wellbeing During Covid-19: Exacerbating and Alleviating Influences
Exploring personal and relational motivations and processes of forgiveness in religious families
Why do the devout remain devoted? Exploring religious expectations and relational compensators
Exploring Influences of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Family Communication: Negative, Positive, or Both
In the context of the shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we explored communication processes within families through both qualitative and quantitative means. A panel survey of 1,510 adults (1,059 parents) in the United States was administered during the summer of 2020 (June 18–July 22). Summary quantitative data are presented. Nearly half (N = 624) also chose to respond to five, open-ended, qualitative questions. From these data, diverse…
Family Dinners and Family Relationships following the Initial Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic
In the context of the COVID-19 shutdowns, we explored associations between family dinner and family well-being among 731 adult parents in the United States who currently had at least one child residing in their home. The panel survey was administered during the summer of 2020 (June 18 through July 22). Participants were asked to respond to questions about relational processes before the COVID-19 shutdowns, at the height of the shutdowns, and curr…
Changes in Spiritual Practices and Relational Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Given disruptions to families’ routines and processes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, this article explores associations between changes in the frequency of spiritual practices and relational well-being during COVID-19. Using a survey of 1,510 adults in the United States administered during the summer of 2020, we employed a mixed methods approach. Significant associations were found between the frequency of engaging in spiritual practices and r…
Changes in Home-Centered Religious Practices and Relational Wellbeing following the Initial Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic
We explored associations between changes in the frequency of home-centered religious practices and family relational conflict, emotional closeness, and the perceived long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships. The panel survey of 1,510 adult individuals in the United States, was administered during the summer of 2020. Given our interest in understanding changes in religious practices following the COVID-19 related closures of reli…
Personal and Relational Processes of Repentance in Religious Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Families
Considerable social science research has illuminated religion's profound and predominantly positive impact on individuals and families. Nevertheless, numerous noteworthy aspects of religion, including repentance, have not been explored in-depth from a social science perspective to understand their psychological and relational processes and implications. Further, the emphasis and importance of repentance across the Abrahamic faiths, combined with …
A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Audit of the American Families of Faith Project: Exploring Lifespan Spiritual Development in Religiously and Racially Diverse Families
Social science and religious studies scholars should endeavor to broaden theories, methods, and samples to be more inclusive. Therefore, we have conducted an "equity audit" of the American Families of Faith (AFF) project. We evaluated the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the AFF project's (a) research team, (b) products, and (c) samples. We then discuss the reasoning behind the decisions that resulted in the existing strengths and limitations …
Perspectives on Lifespan Religious and Spiritual Development from Scholars across the Lifespan
The purpose of the article is to share our perspectives on the key influences of lifespan religious and spiritual development as scholars from across the lifespan (i.e., the four authors are from different generations, including Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z). Our perspectives are heavily influenced by our combined 60+ years of research experience in examining the connections between religion and family life. Our discussion i…
Perceptions of Nonreligious Parents
Although religious intolerance and marginalization still exist today, research suggests that perhaps one of the most marginalized groups is those who report no religion. Through interviews with 31 nonreligious couples ( N = 62 individuals), we investigated what nonreligious parents want religious people to understand about them and their families. Using a team-based approach to qualitative data analysis, we identified three themes related to what…
Uniting and dividing influences of religion on parent–child relationships in highly religious families
Religion can have both helpful and harmful influences on relationships. The purpose of this study is to better understand how religion can have both a unifying and a dividing influence on parent–child relationships. Through the use of interviews with 198 highly religious families (N = 476 individuals), we address some of the complexity inherent in religion and examine the influence of three dimensions of religious experience (religious practices,…
Strengths and Strategies in Interfaith Marriages
Despite the rising number of interfaith relationships, few empirical studies have explored the strengths of interfaith couples living in the United States who are striving to integrate separate religious beliefs. This study examined the strengths of interfaith marriages by conducting a qualitative analysis of 32 religiously diverse interfaith couples’ (N = 63 participants) reports of strengths that resulted from their relationships. We found five…
Black Marriages Matter: Wisdom and Advice From Happily Married Black Couples
Objective This study used in‐depth interviews with Black and African American couples in happy, long‐term marriages to capture advice that can serve to convey the hurdles and expectations of marriage in the African American community. Background The U.S. Census Bureau reports that only 29% of African Americans are married. However, the majority of African Americans still desire marriage themselves. Therefore, the advice and experiences of endurin…
Why Religion Helps and Harms Families: A Conceptual Model of a System of Dualities at the Nexus of Faith and Family Life
Evidence suggests that religion can both help and harm families. We posit that a central reason for these divergent outcomes is a system of dualities at the nexus of religion and family. We propose a conceptual framework of a dynamic system of religious and relational dualities. We propose eight dualities: (a) transcendent and mundane spiritual experiences may affect families, (b) families may experience God as a close confidant and an authority …
A Conceptual Ethic of Generative Fathering
In this paper, the authors propose a “conceptual ethic” of fathering. This framework is presented as an example of a nondeficit perspective of fathering rooted in the proposed ethical obligation for fathers to meet the needs of the next generation. We conceptualize fathering as generative work, rather than as a social role embedded in a changing sociohistorical context. The framework is based on two central ideas: that the human context creates n…
The Threefold Cord: Marital Commitment in Religious Couples
This study reports results from in-depth interviews with 57 highly religious middle-aged married couples representing the major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and residing in New England and Northern California. The study uses grounded theory methods to create themes that describe the ways that religiosity influences marital commitment. Couples reported that religious beliefs and practices helped them include God as the third par…
Religion, Relationships, and Responsible Fathering in Latter-Day Saint Families of Children with Special Needs
The issue of responsible and involved fathering has inspired a growing body of scholarship, policy, and interventions. However, religious communities, practices, and beliefs have been overlooked as potential factors in encouraging responsible, involved fathering. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) fathers of children with special needs and analyzed to examine the meaning of religion in relation to respons…
Surmounting the Empathy Wall: Deep Respect and Holy Envy in Qualitative Scholarship
In this concluding article of a special issue based on a diverse, national, 198 family (N = 476 persons) qualitative study, the concepts of deep respect and holy envy are posited as research-enhancing strengths in rigorous qualitative inquiry. Both concepts are defined and illustrated as the authors share specific strengths of seven religious-ethnic groups that have elicited their holy envy. The need for deep respect and holy envy in social scien…
Talking About Religion: How Highly Religious Youth and Parents Discuss Their Faith
This study builds on previous research regarding parent-child religious conversations to explore the transactional processes of these conversations. It employs qualitative analyses of interviews with highly religious parents and adolescents representing the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) from New England and Northern California. Variations in conversational processes are summarized in a conceptual model. Findings suggest that whe…
Introduction to the Special Issue: Exploring Strengths in American Families of Faith
We introduce the special issue of Marriage and Family Review on Exploring Strengths among American Families of Faith. The heart of the special issue is a collection of scholarly articles about couples and parents from eight religious–ethnic communities. In addition, there are introductory and concluding essays and an article placing the empirical articles in theoretical context. The sample includes 198 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families (N = …
Fathering, Faith, and Spirituality
Many current social and cultural forces discourage father involvement with children. An important, but usually overlooked, positive influence on men and fathering is religion. This article presents some of the findings of the scant social science literature on fathering and religion; discusses the ways that religion encourages and supports responsible, involved fathering; touches on some of the similarities between the men's movement and religion…
The Linkage between Theory and Research in Family Science
There is a need to make theory a more explicit part of empirical research as family science moves beyond a purely positivist philosophy of science. The purpose of this article is to advocate for a tighter reciprocal interaction between theory and empirical research in family science. Specifically, it is suggested that we would build our consensual knowledge base and serve the needs of family science more effectively if this interaction were made …
Beyond Religious Rigidities: Religious Firmness and Religious Flexibility as Complementary Loyalties in Faith Transmission
Research has found that intergenerational transmission of religiosity results in higher family functioning and improved family relationships. Yet the Pew Research Center found that 44% of Americans reported that they had left the religious affiliation of their childhood. And 78% of the expanding group of those who identify as religiously unaffiliated ("Nones") reported that they were raised in "highly religious families." We suggest that this may…
Anchors of Religious Commitment in Adolescents
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents. A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith tradition…
Something More”: The Meanings of Marriage for Religious Couples in America
This study focused on how couples’ beliefs about marriage and religion shape the meanings they find in their marriage. Interviews about connections between religion and marriage were conducted with 57 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim couples in New England and northern California. Qualitative analyses found the major theme, common across faith traditions, was that marriage is a sacred union that is “something more": more than the self, more than the…
Giving Up Something Good for Something Better: Sacred Sacrifices Made by Religious Youth
The concept of sacrifice was formerly a key variable in theorizing about religion and society. Secularization theory and conceptual models equating sacrifice with cost have reduced its usage and apparent relevance, although it continues to be of interest in anthropology and religious studies. Research on sacrifice has been neglected in the social sciences, especially in studies of religiosity and families. Seventy-seven religious adolescents in 5…
Faithful Fathering in Trying Times: Religious Beliefs and Practices of Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs
This paper presents the findings from an exploration of religious beliefs collected from narrative accounts from 16 Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) fathers of children with special needs. Six themes were created to organize the narratives as a result of coding. The first three are not explicitly religious in nature: (1) choosing to care, (2) dealing with today's challenges, and (3) building love through play. The second three themes were explici…
Development of the Faith Activities in the Home Scale (FAITHS)
This article reports the development of the Faith Activities In The Home Scale (FAITHS). The initial FAITHS measure was improved on and expanded by using qualitative data of two separate samples and then empirically tested on three separate samples. Study 1 comprised two samples totaling 57 highly religious families from New England and California that represented the three major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) and focused on …
Generative Devotion: A Theory of Sacred Relational Care in Families of Faith
Generative devotion is a middle‐range theory grounded in analyses of interviews with religious and nonreligious families that illuminates ways religion can facilitate strong family relations within and across generations. Generative devotion is a way of approaching religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and communities that attends to the long‐term well‐being of family members, is essentially other‐oriented, responds to abiding needs of pers…
"Why Would Such a Person Dream About Heaven?" Family, Faith, and Happiness in Arranged Marriages in India
This study explores the why and how of high rates of marital satisfaction among arranged marriage spouses of Hindu faith in Jaipur, India. The construct family and religious involvement is proposed to describe what constituents of the arranged marriages of participants influence high rates of marital satisfaction. This construct is observed and discussed within three main phases of marriage: (a) time leading up to marriage; (b) early and formativ…
Fathering for Eternity: Generative Spirituality in Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs
David C. Dollahite, Fathering for Eternity: Generative Spirituality in Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs, Review of Religious Research, Vol. 44, No. 3, Religious and Spiritual Development: Special Issue (Mar., 2003), pp. 237-251
How Relationship-Enhancing Transcendent Religious Experiences during Adversity Can Encourage Relational Meaning, Depth, Healing, and Action
Research on the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health suggests that religious involvement can help people deal with various kinds of adversity. Although there has been a great deal of work on the influence of religious involvement and religious and spiritual practices on physical, mental, and relational health, there exists a gap in the theoretical and empirical literature about the potential benefits of transcendent religious e…
Positive Youth Religious and Spiritual Development: What We Have Learned from Religious Families
In this article, we highlight the contributions of the findings from a branch of the American Families of Faith national research project that pertain to positive religious and spiritual development in youth. We present detailed findings from six previous studies on religious youth and their parents from diverse faith communities (various denominations in Christianity, three major branches of Judaism, and two major groups in Islam). We discuss wh…
Exploring Transformational Processes and Meaning in LDS Marriages
For decades, research has shown that religion is correlated with several important aspects of marriage. However, most studies have looked only at distal aspects of a couple's religion, such as church attendance or religious salience, and are therefore hard pressed to explain precisely how religion and marriage correlate. This qualitative study examines the connection Mormon (LDS) couples perceive between their religious faith and their marriage a…
Does Leaving Faith Mean Leaving Family? Longitudinal Associations Between Religious Identification and Parent-Child Relationships Across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
The present study investigated the parent-child relational repercussions of converting to religion, switching, or deconverting from religion. Qualitative research indicates that these religious changes may negatively affect parent-child relationship quality, however, few quantitative studies investigate this issue. Subsequently, we utilized structural equation modeling to test if changes in religious identification during adolescence and emerging…
A Qualitative Study of Ramadan: A Month of Fasting, Family, and Faith
Islam is a major world religion and the Muslim population is one of the fastest growing religious populations in the Western world, including in the United States. However, few research studies have examined the lived religious experience of U.S. Muslim families. Much of the attention on Islam among researchers and the media tends to be on controversial aspects of the religion. The purpose of this paper is to examine the unique religious practice…
Exploring Gender Roles in Highly Religious Families
Background Many world religions explicitly and/or implicitly promote gender hierarchy and the patriarchal nature of gender roles is a nearly universal theme within these traditions. Notwithstanding the hierarchical patterns often apparent in religiously defined gender roles, complementarity in gender roles is also an essential characteristic of many religions. Purpose Religious teachings regarding gender roles may dualistically foster relational …
The Real Book of Mormon Musical: Latter-day Saint Family Home Evening as a Weekly Ritual
Scholars of religious ritual have noted that inadequate attention has been paid to religious ritual in the social sciences. Based on what has been done, it is apparent that sacred family rituals (when done well and with relational sensitivity) can enhance structure, meaning, and family unity. The present study examines the family-level ritual practice of weekly Family Home Evening among members of 26 Latter-day Saint (LDS) families (N = 58 indivi…
The Linkage between Theory and Research in Family Science
There is a need to make theory a more explicit part of empirical research as family science moves beyond a purely positivist philosophy of science. The purpose of this article is to advocate for a tighter reciprocal interaction between theory and empirical research in family science. Specifically, it is suggested that we would build our consensual knowledge base and serve the needs of family science more effectively if this interaction were made …
No Man's Land: Men's Changing Commitments to Family and Work
No Man's Land: Men's Changing Commitments to Family and Work. Kathleen Gerson. New York: Basic. 1993. 355 pp. ISBN 0-465-06316-0. $25 cloth. Men, Work, and Family. Jane C. Hood (Ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. 1993. 294 pp. Hardcover ISBN 0-8039-3890-X (cloth). $44 cloth, $19.95 paper. American Manhood: Transformations in Masculinity from the Revolution to the Modern Era. E. Anthony Rotundo. New York: Basic. 1993. 364 pp. ISBN 0-465-01409-7. $25 cl…
Narrative Accounts, Generative Fathering, and Family Life Education
This article suggests that theory and story can be effectively linked in interpretive family life education programs and illustrates this potential by discussing how personal narrative accounts of fathers encounters with their children can be used to understand and encourage good fathering (herein referred to as generative fathering). The article (a) presents a theory of how fathers change and the implications of this theory for the use of father…
Origins and Highlights of the Special Issue on Fathering, Faith, and Spirituality
This introduction presents the origins of the papers first presented at a symposium titled “Faithful Fathering: Spiritual Narratives and Religious Meanings” that was organized for the Annual Conference of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) in Arlington, Virginia, in November of 1997. Next, a brief summary of the papers found in this special issue of The Journal of Men's Studies is presented
Fathering, Faith, and Spirituality
Many current social and cultural forces discourage father involvement with children. An important, but usually overlooked, positive influence on men and fathering is religion. This article presents some of the findings of the scant social science literature on fathering and religion; discusses the ways that religion encourages and supports responsible, involved fathering; touches on some of the similarities between the men's movement and religion…
Faithful Fathering in Trying Times: Religious Beliefs and Practices of Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs
This paper presents the findings from an exploration of religious beliefs collected from narrative accounts from 16 Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) fathers of children with special needs. Six themes were created to organize the narratives as a result of coding. The first three are not explicitly religious in nature: (1) choosing to care, (2) dealing with today's challenges, and (3) building love through play. The second three themes were explici…
A Conceptual Ethic of Generative Fathering
In this paper, the authors propose a “conceptual ethic” of fathering. This framework is presented as an example of a nondeficit perspective of fathering rooted in the proposed ethical obligation for fathers to meet the needs of the next generation. We conceptualize fathering as generative work, rather than as a social role embedded in a changing sociohistorical context. The framework is based on two central ideas: that the human context creates n…
Religion, Relationships, and Responsible Fathering in Latter-Day Saint Families of Children with Special Needs
The issue of responsible and involved fathering has inspired a growing body of scholarship, policy, and interventions. However, religious communities, practices, and beliefs have been overlooked as potential factors in encouraging responsible, involved fathering. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) fathers of children with special needs and analyzed to examine the meaning of religion in relation to respons…
Fathering for Eternity: Generative Spirituality in Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs
David C. Dollahite, Fathering for Eternity: Generative Spirituality in Latter-Day Saint Fathers of Children with Special Needs, Review of Religious Research, Vol. 44, No. 3, Religious and Spiritual Development: Special Issue (Mar., 2003), pp. 237-251
Families and Religious Beliefs, Practices, and Communities: Linkages in a Diverse and Dynamic Cultural Context
Special Reviewers
How Religiosity Helps Couples Prevent, Resolve, and Overcome Marital Conflict
This study reports on in‐depth interviews with 57 highly religious, middle‐aged married couples representing the major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) residing in New England and Northern California. The study uses grounded theory methods to create themes and a model describing the ways that religiosity influences marital conflict. Couples reported that religiosity affects the conflict in their marriage at three phases of the conf…
Talking About Religion: How Highly Religious Youth and Parents Discuss Their Faith
This study builds on previous research regarding parent-child religious conversations to explore the transactional processes of these conversations. It employs qualitative analyses of interviews with highly religious parents and adolescents representing the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) from New England and Northern California. Variations in conversational processes are summarized in a conceptual model. Findings suggest that whe…
Religion and the Daily Lives of LDS Families: An Ecological Perspective
The purpose of this article is to explore in detail how religion and family religious rituals affect the day‐to‐day activities of individual and family life. It includes qualitative analysis of interviews with highly religious parents and children in 67 families that belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints. Findings suggest that for this sample, religion was more than an external influence; it was viewed as an integral part of o…
The Threefold Cord: Marital Commitment in Religious Couples
This study reports results from in-depth interviews with 57 highly religious middle-aged married couples representing the major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and residing in New England and Northern California. The study uses grounded theory methods to create themes that describe the ways that religiosity influences marital commitment. Couples reported that religious beliefs and practices helped them include God as the third par…
Children of a New World: Society, Culture, and Globalization - by Paula Fass
Giving Up Something Good for Something Better: Sacred Sacrifices Made by Religious Youth
The concept of sacrifice was formerly a key variable in theorizing about religion and society. Secularization theory and conceptual models equating sacrifice with cost have reduced its usage and apparent relevance, although it continues to be of interest in anthropology and religious studies. Research on sacrifice has been neglected in the social sciences, especially in studies of religiosity and families. Seventy-seven religious adolescents in 5…
Anchors of Religious Commitment in Adolescents
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents. A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith tradition…
Development of the Faith Activities in the Home Scale (FAITHS)
This article reports the development of the Faith Activities In The Home Scale (FAITHS). The initial FAITHS measure was improved on and expanded by using qualitative data of two separate samples and then empirically tested on three separate samples. Study 1 comprised two samples totaling 57 highly religious families from New England and California that represented the three major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) and focused on …
Mining the meanings and pulling out the processes from psychology of religion's correlation mountain
The article illustrates how rigorous quantitative studies in three distinct and promising areas opened the door to additional related qualitative work. Using qualitative narratives from a landmark sample of 184 diverse religious families, the authors discuss and illustrate two research methods and that have been useful to them: triangulating data in the context of family, and seeking truth through progressive questioning. Next, consistent with th…
Coming to Terms With Parental Divorce: Associations With Marital Outcomes and the Role of Gender and Religiosity
In this article we examine the current marriage relationship outcomes for children of divorce compared to children from intact families. The sample is 997 matched married couples. Those from families with married parents were more likely to come to terms with issues in their family of origin, and had higher religiosity, less negative communication, and more positive relationship satisfaction than those with divorced parents. Religiosity was effec…
Religious Exploration Among Highly Religious American Adolescents
A qualitative investigation of adolescent religious exploration was conducted with 78 religious adolescents. Interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify common themes underlying their experiences of religious exploration. Three key themes emerged. First, various circumstances, contexts, and relationships in adolescents’ lives serve as catalysts for initiating religious exploration. Second, adolescents used many different…
Something More”: The Meanings of Marriage for Religious Couples in America
This study focused on how couples’ beliefs about marriage and religion shape the meanings they find in their marriage. Interviews about connections between religion and marriage were conducted with 57 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim couples in New England and northern California. Qualitative analyses found the major theme, common across faith traditions, was that marriage is a sacred union that is “something more": more than the self, more than the…
Exploring Transformational Processes and Meaning in LDS Marriages
For decades, research has shown that religion is correlated with several important aspects of marriage. However, most studies have looked only at distal aspects of a couple's religion, such as church attendance or religious salience, and are therefore hard pressed to explain precisely how religion and marriage correlate. This qualitative study examines the connection Mormon (LDS) couples perceive between their religious faith and their marriage a…
"Why Would Such a Person Dream About Heaven?" Family, Faith, and Happiness in Arranged Marriages in India
This study explores the why and how of high rates of marital satisfaction among arranged marriage spouses of Hindu faith in Jaipur, India. The construct family and religious involvement is proposed to describe what constituents of the arranged marriages of participants influence high rates of marital satisfaction. This construct is observed and discussed within three main phases of marriage: (a) time leading up to marriage; (b) early and formativ…
Psychology (71 works) · Social Psychology (65 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (61 works) · Sociology (59 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (32 works) · Faith (28 works) · Social Psychology (26 works) · Social science (25 works) · Gender Studies (24 works) · Theology (24 works)