Transmitting religious values through online religious communities: case study of Pakistani Shia mothers’ home education

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to understand what specific religious values are being transmitted to children through online Shia religious communities during the pandemic. Twenty-seven mothers were sampled from three cities of Pakistan. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview guide and analysed using thematic content analysis. Eleven themes were found, under two broad categories of: (a) Transmitting beliefs and influencing religious practice and (b) Developing community orientation. Perceived as a coping and support mechanism during COVID-19, findings reveal that Shia mothers are dependent on the online religious community for the transmission of sectarian values and also wider community morals in their children. This study also implies the preference for online religious services beyond the pandemic, mainly due to the convenience of home-based participation, privacy, and consumerism.