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06/24/2025 10:40

“Families play a key role in passing on religion – especially mothers”

Viola van Melis Zentrum für Wissenschaftskommunikation
Exzellenzcluster „Religion und Politik“ an der Universität Münster

International study by the University of Münster on processes of religious socialization in families – “Passing on non-religiosity is the norm in eastern Germany and is on the rise in other western societies, too” – Many new data and explanations on factors influencing religious socialization – “Religious socialization is successful when all generations work together” – Major East-West differences – New book: Families and Religion

According to an international study by the University of Münster, the question of whether people become religious or non-religious at a time of religious decline in society depends very much on the family. “Our surveys and family interviews in Germany, Finland, Italy, Canada, and Hungary show that, in all countries, religion is passed on to the younger generation above all when the family cultivates a religious self-image, engages in joint religious practices such as prayer or singing, and when both parents belong to the same denomination – the most important role in religious socialization is played by mothers”, explain sociologists of religion Christel Gärtner, Linda Hennig, and Olaf Müller from the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”, the Centre for Religion and Modernity (CRM), and the Institute of Sociology. “Outside the family, the factors that should also be acknowledged are churches, congregations, and their staff. Regular communication with a religious figure plays a key role in whether a person maintains their family’s religious traditions”. Religious institutions offer space for religious reflection, discussion, and creative activities. “At the same time, the factors that foster the transmission of religion are disappearing. In an increasingly secular environment, parents themselves are becoming less religious, and are increasingly passing on non-religion or allowing their children to choose freely”.

While researchers agree that church-based religiosity is declining from generation to generation in western countries, there have so far been no explanations as to how exactly this process unfolds. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative research, the study provides more precise data and explanations on what determines the transmission of religion within and outside families. “A key finding is that religion is never passed in exactly the same form, but is always transformed in the process: where parents and grandparents experience religious community, a focus on the common good, and spirituality in church services, their children find these dimensions in the secular party scene, for example”. Funded by the US-based John Templeton Foundation, the study saw its international research team of 21 scientists survey Christian and non-Christian families in Europe and Canada in representative surveys and interviews with family members from three generations. The results are published in the Campus Verlag book Families and Religion: Dynamics of Transmission across Generations.

“Non-religiosity is being passed on more and more”

As Olaf Müller explains, what the countries studied (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland, and Canada) share is that they are largely Christian and are undergoing processes of secularization. “However, they differ in terms of degree and timing of secularization, which is also reflected in our findings on family transmission. The break in family transmission first began in East Germany, which we can already see clearly in the oldest age group surveyed, those born before 1948. Among the youngest, those born between 1985 and 2003, as many as one in two come from families where the parents were already non-religious. In the West, on the other hand, the largest group (at around 70%) still comprises, even among the youngest respondents, those who themselves and at least one parent belong to a religious denomination, i.e. where religion was passed on to the next generation. One reason for the East-West difference are the anti-religious policies pursued in the GDR. Müller explains: “This clearly illustrates the enormous influence of political and social circumstances: when societies become more liberal and secular, or non-religiosity becomes the norm (as has long been the case in East Germany), then parents find it increasingly difficult to justify bringing their children up religiously and passing on their religion to them”.

According to the study, whether a young person becomes religious is decided primarily in adolescence, i.e. between childhood and adulthood. “During this phase, people develop independent judgment, reflect on the religious practices of their family, and often distance themselves from them”, says Christel Gärtner. Since the 1980s, all western countries have seen changing ideas of how to bring up children: “Parents are increasingly adopting liberal ideas and promoting their children’s personal development and decision-making skills. This also applies to the religious sphere, with parents leaving it up to their children, whether baptized or not, to decide whether they want to be confirmed. The transmission of religion is particularly likely where all generations pull together, i.e. where grandparents also contribute to the religious upbringing of their grandchildren. However, the grandparents cannot compensate for where the parents do not exert a religious influence”.

Continuity in values such as solidarity and tolerance

The research team also found that, in religious socialization, the position that usually prevails is the one that is most strongly represented, this also applying to non-religious beliefs. “If, for example, the father is particularly non-religious, then he can also prove to be the most important factor”. While the researchers observe breaks between the generations in terms of religious practice, such as churchgoing and church ties, there is continuity in values: “Younger people are adopting values such as charity, solidarity, and tolerance. While parents justify these on religious grounds, younger people see them now as general cultural and liberal values that no longer have a religious foundation”.

The international research team comprised a total of 21 scientists. The team leaders in the other countries were Prof. Dr. Kati Tervo-Niemelä from the University of Eastern Finland, Prof. Dr. Gergely Rosta from Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest, Prof. Dr. Roberta Ricucci from the University of Turin, and Prof. Dr. Peter Beyer from the University of Ottawa. The project that gave rise to the study was based at the Centre for Religion and Modernity (CRM) and the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster. (tec/vvm)

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Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, all interested persons
Religion, Social studies, Teaching / education
transregional, national
Research results, Transfer of Science or Research
English

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