Exploring parents’ perspectives on their interfaith marriage (Jewish and Christian) and the transmission of religious activities to their children

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices, traditions, and religious beliefs that Jewish and Christian spouses are passing onto their children. To further examine the strategies and approaches used in integrating religion into their children’s lives, a total of 16 interfaith spouses were recruited to take part in the study. Subjects responded to a series of audio-recorded questions covering areas related to religion and childrearing. In addition, participants were presented with a demographic questionnaire that assessed basic, measurable attributes such as ethnicity and gender. Comparisons amongst responses indicate that a variety of religious approaches are utilized amongst couples. The religious strategies found in this study ranged from instilling one main religion, combining both religions, to incorporating very little religion at all into the religious upbringing of the child or children. The sample size was too small to draw any definitive conclusions. However, these findings do have implications for future research on the experiences of Jewish and Christian interfaith couples, particularly with regards to raising children together

Source: CSU Northridge

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