A Faith of Their Own: Stability and Change in the Religiosity of America’s Adolescents

The National Study of Youth and Religion has produced numerous significant books and articles about the state of adolescent religiosity, and authors Pearce and Denton’s most recent contribution is no exception. Studying a group of teenagers, the two sociologists examine how the teens’ attitudes about faith change (or don’t) as they get older. The authors find, much to even their own surprise, that adolescent religiosity either stays the same or increases over time. The book is filled to the brim with fascinating new data as well as helpful categories (three Cs to measure and describe religiosity: content, conduct, and centrality; five As that describe types of believers: abiders, adapters, assenters, avoiders, and atheists) for both reframing scholarly understanding and evaluating adolescent religiosity. An audience of academics, graduate students, and ministry practitioners will find the authors’ dense prose worth the investment required to get at their results. Pearce and Denton tell numerous teens’ stories to illuminate their categories, yet readers may wish the authors had quoted these young women and men more directly in narrative form. This latest publication from the NSYR will be a useful addition to graduate courses especially. (Jan.)