Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation

Handing Down the Faith examines how American parents transmit religious beliefs and practices to their children. Based on 215 in-depth interviews and national surveys, authors Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk reveal what shapes effective faith transmission across diverse traditions. The book explores parental beliefs, parenting styles, childhood influences, congregational expectations, and immigrant experiences—including Latino Catholics, East Asian Buddhists, South Asian Muslims, and Indian Hindus. Smith and Adamczyk contextualize these findings within a century of American religious change, offering empirical insights for scholars, clergy, educators, and parents seeking to understand intergenerational faith formation.