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Running head: YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Young Adults Following the Religious Traditions of their Parents:
An Ethnographic Study
Ruth M. Paula
Oakland University
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YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Abstract
Pertaining to religious inheritance, this paper is an ethnographic analysis of the young adults who
cling so tightly to the religious traditions of their parents. I was interested in the motivation. Was
clinging to the religion of one’s parents a comfortable ritual, an inborn desire, or a personal
adoption of beliefs? Such a discussion is achieved through multiple preparatory methods: the
research of scholarly journals; the responses of surveys and interview; the observance of this
subculture; and a culmination of my own related thoughts and sentiments. Both psychology and
genetics are intertwined to possibly explain the root of religious inheritance. Furthermore, it
examines the importance of accurately perceiving parents’ beliefs and having solid relationships
within a religious group. Predicted trends for religious transmission are looked at lastly. While
this paper certainly does not offer the only foolproof way for religious transmission to exist, it
breaks the surface of the idea to offer an immersion into multiple scientific and non-scientific
perceptions of the transference of religious ideas to young adults.
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YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Young Adults Following the Religious Traditions of their Parents:
An Ethnographic Study
Religion could probably be considered one of the scariest topics of discussion for the
average young adult. It creates immediate division of a unified body or chaos in a peaceful
group. Sometimes the turmoil can be glazed over with a mere dip into fundamental truths and
beliefs: the non-threatening “There is a God” or “I’m an atheist” statements. These satisfy the
topic’s normal inquiry without truly demanding an answer to the grittiest question scarcely
touched by peacemakers: where do your beliefs come from?
Young adults especially are targeted with this question. The freshest of eighteen-year-old
minds to the more stale twenty-somethings are prodded with this question by their peers,
struggling themselves to define their beliefs’ infrastructure. Many find a safe haven in the very
arms that have been swaddling them before their minds could even begin to comprehend such
complexities as religion: their parents. Freedom is given. Yet, they continue to follow the
religious traditions of their parents. This reply is not often met with further questioning.
Occasionally judged? Yes. But ridiculed beyond what one can stand? Rarely.
This generational transmission of beliefs is not something easily explained, nor easily
examined, considering it requires longitudinal studies of both parents and offspring (Myers,
1996). Still, solid ideas have been contributed from an array of scientific fields, such as
psychology and genetics. This, collaborated with my own observations, provides some
conclusion concerning this unique sub-culture and why they choose to follow the religious
traditions of their parents.
Fitting the Mold
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YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
A local church body, Auburn Hills Christian Center, provided me with a wide array of
young adults to observe. This semi-modern Pentecostal octagonal church is liberally covered in
the most unappetizing asparagus color in every nook and cranny: the roof, the pews, the carpet
that snakes throughout the building, the accents on every piece of propaganda, etc. Yet, this
consistency is not echoed in the people. One main thing I sought to establish though this research
was the true cookie-cutter form of a young adult who continues in the beliefs of their parents.
Little consistency exists. There is no “look,” per say. Unlike the stereotypical characteristics set
that may be gathered from examining perhaps a group of athletes, religious young adults are not
as simply identified.
One service I saw a tall, long-haired young man wearing a black rock concert t-shirt and
black cowboy boots. He played with his long hair during service and bent down with elbows
resting on his thighs, massaging his face. Another service I came across a brunette hipster
drummer with a green plaid button-up, vigorously chewing his gum and actively participating
during the praise and worship. Still, another time an African American female with glasses
quietly giggled to jokes shared among her pew mates. No uniformity seemed to exist (besides the
fact that all of these young adults were sitting with at least one adult figure, assuming this to be a
parent/guardian).
Though no stereotypical patterns appear to exist, research may show otherwise in the
parental generation that raised these diverse individuals. “An Interactive Model of Religiosity
Inheritance: The Importance of Family Context” shows correlation between religious
transmission and parents exhibiting traditional gender roles:
The results of these variables—parents' education, labor force participation, and power
relations—all suggest that a "traditional" family enhances the ability of parents to transmit
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YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
their religiosity. Specifically, a traditional husband-wife relationship results in higher
religiosity among offspring and greater inter-generational similarity in religiosity. (Myers,
1996, p.864)
This circumstance would have higher religiosity than a home in which the mother was the
breadwinner. Perhaps the traditionalism of the household gives young adults individual freedom
within the realm of the religion. It shares a similar premise to famous psychologist Mary
Ainsworth’s attachment theory. Her research indicates that secure attachment “…enables the
child to venture farther away from his or her secure base…” and to maintain a “meaningful
association” with parents through adulthood (Ainsworth, 1989, p.710). Surely this applies to the
spiritual aspect of life. While there may be exploration in fashion and frivolous traits by the
offspring, the deeper core of the religious parents still attracts the magnetic hearts of their
offspring.
Religious Predisposition
While these theories like to suggest that nurturing leads to religious inheritance, a more
radical point of view may argue that genetics is involved. Published in the Time magazine
October 2004 edition, an article entitled “Is God in our Genes?” explored the possibility that the
trait of fearing God can be genetically transferred (Kluger, 2004). This is a novel idea. In the
mind of a scientist, it is tempting to cling to logical and testable data to justify religious
transmission.
In the minds of religious leaders, there is quite an opposite effect. Naturally, the idea of
this gene undermines the value of choosing religion and growing one’s faith. During my
research, I had the pleasure of interviewing the senior pastor of Auburn Hills Christian Center,
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Cal Garcia, a Puerto Rican, salt-and-pepper-haired gentleman. When I asked for his opinion on
the ‘God gene’ this was his response:
In our bodies, something cries out. Conviction convinces us of our need, not a gene in our
bodies. I would have additional questions: where did the gene come from and why? What
is the need? (Garcia, 2013)
Not surprisingly, Garcia opposes any theory of predisposition of religion—favoring personal
religious experiences (to be further discussed in a later section).
Within my personal experience, I have certainly seen evidence to support the ‘God gene’
theory. Near the beginning of my research I conducted a survey. Forty-nine young adults
between the ages of 18-29 participated and offered a variety of responses. One question
concerned the similarity between the young adult’s faith and that of their parents. 44.9% reported
identical beliefs. Through my observations, I saw many young adults exhibiting behavior similar
to their parents, but certainly not identical. The fact that just under half of these young adults
state a perfect match with their parent’s belief tempts me to believe that this behavior is not
randomized. It may be intentionally woven into one’s intricate DNA.
Perceptions
Among the variety of intellectual research papers I came across, I was especially
intrigued by one specific study. Entitled “Transmission of Religious Values: Relations between
Parents’ and Daughters’ beliefs,” Lynn Okagaki and Claudia Bevis identity one key element
involved in successful transmission: perception (Okagaki, et al., 1999). Rather than a mere
comparison between the current beliefs of the parent and child, this study questioned the
daughters on what they thought their parents believed. The participants’ beliefs often most
closely resembled what they thought their parents believed. According to the results of the study,
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daughters’ accurate perceptions were correlated to the time spent and the depth of religious
discussions in the household.
After reading this study, a circle of questions began swimming in my brain: How many
young adults are currently blinded by their parents’ true beliefs? If young adults were given a
more clear definition of their parents’ beliefs, would any of them continue to accept them or,
inversely, reject them? Are more young adults deceived that their parents are more religious or
less religious than they had perceived? Further studying regarding just the perception of religious
beliefs may shed an abundance of clarity on religious transference.
Personal Relationship
In the eyes of religious figures, perception of beliefs would have little to no effect in the
transmission of beliefs. Rather, young adults would experience transfer of religious beliefs based
solely on their own personal experience within the religion. Coined as “crystallized faith,” Pastor
Cal Garcia comments that in his experience young adults who have personally connected to God
will be the ones who remain in the faith. This was the main thing that inspired his faith as a
young adult:
I had a “fear of God” growing up. I was raised legalistically. There was a loving
environment, but I had three main motivations in my mind: I don’t want to displease
God. I don’t want to dishonor my mom. I don’t want to dishonor my church. After, there
was just a personal investment in a relationship with God, knowing him. I saw growth.
God revealed himself to me. I was walking through dark parts and seeing his faithfulness.
(Garcia, 2013)
Garcia furthermore points out that the young adults who experience religious transmission can be
easily spotted prior to reaching 18 years-old. To him, there is no surprise.
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In a more formal research study, Wesley Black, graduate of Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, echoes Garcia’s sentiments toward experiencing God for oneself. In his
research paper, “Stopping the Dropouts,” Black comments that only 20% of young adults in their
twenties maintain their church participation (Black, 2008). He also, through extensive surveying,
identifies four key elements that affect the religious transference: relationships; discipleship and
spiritual depth; family influence; and intergenerational mentoring. All of these are connected to
the young adult having roots in either a family member, a friend, or in God. Essentially,
relationship is necessary for transmission of religious beliefs.
Since relationship is something that bears such importance, it is difficult to merely
observe this in others. As Pastor Cal Garcia pointed out, one can tell during a service who is truly
engaged; however, one cannot plainly quantitate the depth of a relationship one has with God, or
family, or friends.
There was one gentleman that I observed who had a clear relationship, most likely
romantic, with the blonde young adult sitting next to him. This tall, lanky man with round
rimmed glasses played the part: well-dressed in slacks and a button-up, seeming to face forward,
head-up, for the majority of the service. He sat in the middle of a full row, unlike many of the
other young adults who sat with one or two people. Still, there was a strange aura surrounding
him. He was rather expressionless throughout the service. Though I could offer a series of
assumptions, I have no testable way to measure the depth of his relationships. Transmission of
religious beliefs is probably best identified through survey and research study rather than
observation.
Trends
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YOUNG ADULTS AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Rather than merely focusing on the current statistics involving the transmission of
religious beliefs, I thought it would be fitting to examine current trends or even forecasted
changes in transmission. In 2010, USA Today published an article titled “Young adults today are
a 'Less Religious' Bunch.” This article drew information from the 2008 Pew Religious
Landscape Survey. It made many religious predictions concerning the millennial, young adult
generation. The article suggested that the spirituality between parents and young adults will be
similar, but there will be differences in religious involvement. While the importance of religion
and prayer seems consistent with that of their grandparents and parents, respectively, millennials
are likely to become less concerned about identifying with a particular affiliation and church
(Grossman, 2010). Religious activity will be more independent.
This theme is generally reflected in the survey responses of participant #12, a male
categorized between the ages of 18 and 21. His religious activity was marked “nonexistent.”
While the majority of participants felt that religious transmission is high between parents and
young adults (69.39% reported values of 40% or greater) participant #12 predicted values
between 20 and 40 percent. When asked to comment about the inheritance of beliefs, his train of
thought echoed the article’s predictions about millennials:
Religion, in my opinion, is something that is very personal and should be something that
someone discovers for themselves. People may say that their practices are a personal
choice, but this is probably not the case if their minds have been conditioned by the
religion and their parents since birth.
In my opinion, participant # 12 perfectly exemplifies the current transmission of religious beliefs
between parents and their young adult offspring. Young adults try to claim their individualism,
similar to the variety of outward appearances and demeanors in my observations. However, the
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truth is they are still clinging to their parent’s religion. As participant #12 says, they “have been
conditioned”; it is not a habit they can easily purge.
Yet, at the same time of choosing their parent’s beliefs, they neglect the formal
declaration of a particular church affiliation. It reminds me of the typical kid who joins National
Honor Society in high school. Are they truly passionate about leadership, scholarship, service
and character? Surely they respect these values, but they are probably not meditating on them
day and night. Being in NHS means belonging to the group when it is convenient. It looks good
on a résumé. That is how I think millennials view following their parent’s religion: it is a résumé
builder for life. It looks good. It impresses the right group, but it can be easily forgotten in
awkward and morally compromising situations.
Conclusion
Similar to a thirteenth birthday representing becoming a teenager, an eighteenth birthday
symbolizes independence. It is the movement from child to young adult. And naturally a large
chunk of freedom is the gift of choice. Yet, even when the freedom is offered, it is easy and
convenient for young adults to rely on their childhood habits. This is true of religious choices.
Throughout these years, young adults try so hard to impress their peers with their grownup characteristics and their individualism. It appears to be a competition to determine who is the
most independent. But in topics of universal division, such as religion, there is an attachment that
many young adults feel toward their parent’s beliefs. This transmission of religious ideas is
complex. Perhaps it relies heavily on upbringing, genes, or perhaps a proportional combination
of both. Or it is possible that relationships—friends, mentors, God, etc.—are too strong for the
young person to give up on the religion altogether. Either way, there is a flow of beliefs that
leaves at least a faint impression upon most young people.
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When asked to describe their religion in a word or phrase, my survey participants came
up with these two answers most often: nonexistent and Jesus. This speaks volumes about the
young adult generation. Rather than arguing about different denominations and fundamentals,
this generation is looking for a simple name plate. One believes there is a God or there is not.
These two answers are probably the most consistently transferred item between parent and child.
It may not create the whole sets of branches and vines of a belief tree in a young person, but a
parent plants the initial roots to be watered by the various religious influences a young adult
encounters.
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References
Ainsworth, M. D. (1989). Attachments beyond infancy. The American Psychologist, 44(4), 709716. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.44.4.709
Black, W. (2008). Stopping the dropouts: guiding adolescents toward a lasting faith following
high school graduation. Christian Education Journal, 5(1), 28.
Garcia, C. (2013, March 5). Personal Interview
Grossman, C. L. (2010, February 17). Young adults today are a 'less religious' bunch. USA
Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com
Kluger, J. (2004, October 25). Is God in our genes?. Time, 164(17), 62-68, 70, 72. Retrieved
from http://www.time.com
Myers, S. M. (1996). An interactive model of religiosity inheritance: The importance of family
context. American Sociological Review, 61(5), 858-866. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.
org/stable/2096457
Okagaki, L., & Bevis, C. (1999). Transmission of religious values: relations between parents' and
daughters' beliefs. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human
Development, 160(3), 303-318. doi: 10.1080/00221329909595401