The Purpose and Nature of Life

This chapter considers how religious parents in the United States approach the job of passing on their family's faith and practices to their children. Furthermore, the chapter takes a look at what assumptions, categories, and beliefs inform their views on the question, as well as which desires, feelings, and concerns influence the ways they undertake the transmission of their religion to their kids. This chapter addresses these issues by systematically analyzing the cultural models that most U.S. parents hold about the issue. It identifies the relevant cultural models that parents hold, which significantly influence their behaviors. In short, the chapter focuses on cognitive frameworks that shape practices rather than the practices themselves.