Retaining young Catholics in the church: assessing the importance of parental example

Journal article


Francis, L. and Casson, A. 2019. Retaining young Catholics in the church: assessing the importance of parental example. Journal of Religious Education. 67 (1), pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-019-00076-4
AuthorsFrancis, L. and Casson, A.
Abstract

Drawing on data from a survey conducted among 9,810 young people in England, Scotland, and Wales, this study examines parental and peer influence on church attendance among 2146 13- to 15-year-old students who identified themselves as Catholics. The data suggested that young Catholics who practise their Catholic identity by attending church do so largely because their parents are Catholic churchgoers. Moreover, young Catholic churchgoers are most likely to keep going if both mother and father are Catholic churchgoers. Among this age group of young Catholics both peer support and attending a church school are also significant, but account for little additional variance after taking parental church-going into account.

The implication from these findings for a Catholic Church strategy for ministry among children and young people within England, Scotland and Wales is that it may be wise to invest in the education and formation of Catholic parents.

KeywordsCatholic; churchgoing; young people; parents; peers
Year2019
JournalJournal of Religious Education
Journal citation67 (1), pp. 1-16
PublisherSpringer
ISSN2199-4625
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-019-00076-4
Publication dates
Online12 Feb 2019
Publication process dates
Deposited02 Apr 2019
Accepted17 Jan 2019
Accepted author manuscript
Output statusPublished
References

References
Argyle, M. (1958). Religious behaviour. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. doi.org/10.4324/9780203001271
Arthur, J. (1995). The ebbing tide: Policy and principles of Catholic education. Leominster: Gracewing.
Astley, J. (2015). Forming disciples: Some educational and biblical reflections. Rural Theology, 13, 4-17. doi.org/10.1179/1470499415Z.00000000037
Beit-Hallahmi, B., & Argyle, M. (1997). The psychology of religious behaviour, belief and experience. London: Routledge.
Benedict XVI (2006). Address of his Holiness Benedict XVI to the participants at the ecclesial convention of the diocese of Rome. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2006/june/doc...
Boyle, J. J., & Francis, L. J. (1986). The influence of differing church aided school systems on pupil attitude towards religion. Research in Education, 35, 7-12.
Brown, C. G. (2001). The death of Christian Britain. London: Routledge.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993). Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Churches Information for Mission. (2001). Faith in life: A snapshot of church life in England at the beginning of the twenty-first century. London: Churches Information for Mission.
Congregation for Catholic Education (1977). The Catholic school. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/...
Congregation for Catholic Education (1988). The religious dimension of education in a Catholic school. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/...
Congregation for Catholic Education (1997). The Catholic school on the threshold of the third millennium. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/...
Congregation for the Clergy (1997). General directory for catechesis. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc...
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334. doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
Cruickshank, M. (1963). Church and state in English education. London: Macmillan.
Davie, G. (1994). Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without belonging. Oxford: Blackwell.
DeVellis, R. F. (2003). Scale development: Theory and applications. London: Sage.
Egan, J., & Francis, L. J. (1986). School ethos in Wales: The impact of non-practising Catholic and non-Catholic pupils on Catholic secondary schools. Lumen Vitae, 41, 159-173.
Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1991). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Scales. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Frabutt, J. M., Holter, A. C., Nuzzi, R. J., Rocha, H., & Cassel, L. (2010). Pastors’ views of parents and the parental role in Catholic Schools. Journal of Catholic Education, 14 (1), 24-46.
Francis, L. J. (1979). School influence and pupil attitude towards religion. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 49, 107-123. doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1979.tb02405.x
Francis, L. J. (1986a). Roman Catholic secondary schools: Falling rolls and pupil attitudes. Educational Studies, 12, 119-127. doi.org/10.1080/0305569860120201
Francis, L. J. (1986b). Denominational schools and pupil attitude towards Christianity. British Educational Research Journal, 12, 145-152. doi.org/10.1080/0141192860120204
Francis, L. J. (1987). Religion in the Primary School: Partnership between church and state? London: Collins Liturgical Publications
Francis, L. J. (1992). Is psychoticism really a dimension of personality fundamental to religiosity? Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 645-652. doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(92)90235-H
Francis, L. J. (1996). The development of an abbreviated form of the Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQR-A) among 13- to 15-year-olds. Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 835-844. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(96)00159-6
Francis, L. J. (1997). The psychology of gender differences in religion: A review of empirical research. Religion, 27, 81-96. doi.org/10.1006/reli.1996.0066
Francis, L. J. (2002). Catholic schools and Catholic values: A study of moral and religious values among 13-15 year old pupils attending non-denominational and Catholic schools in England and Wales. International Journal of Education and Religion, 3, 69-84. doi.org/10.1163/157006202760182445
Francis, L. J. (2015). Taking discipleship learning seriously: Setting priorities for the rural church. Rural Theology, 13, 18-30. doi.org/10.1179/1470499415Z.00000000038
Francis, L. J. (under review). Parental and peer influence on church attendance among adolescent Anglicans in England and Wales.
Francis, L. J., Brown, L. B., & Philipchalk, R. (1992). The development of an abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR-A): Its use among students in England, Canada, the USA and Australia. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 443-449. doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(92)90073-X
Francis, L. J., Byrne, G., Sweetman, B., & Penny, G. (2016). Growing up female and Catholic in the Republic of Ireland and in Scotland: The intersectionality of religious identity, religious saliency, and nationality. In J. Astley & L. J. Francis (Eds.), Diversity and intersectionality: Studies in religion, education and values (pp. 67-99). Oxford: Peter Lang.
Francis, L. J., & Carter, M. (1980). Church aided secondary schools, religious education as an examination subject and pupil attitudes towards religion. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 50, 297-300. doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1980.tb00814.x
Francis L. J., & Craig, C. L. (2006). Tweenagers in the Church: An empirical perspective on attitude development. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 27, 95-109. doi.org/10.1080/13617670600594566
Francis, L. J., & Egan, J. (1987). Catholic schools and the communication of faith: An empirical inquiry. Catholic School Studies, 60(2), 27-34.
Francis, L. J., & Egan, J. (1990). The Catholic school as ‘faith community’: An empirical enquiry. Religious Education, 85, 588-603.
Francis, L. J., & Gibson, H. M. (1993). Parental influence and adolescent religiosity: A study of church attendance and attitude toward Christianity among adolescents 11 to 12 and 15 to 16 years old. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 3, 241-253. doi.org/10.1207/s15327582ijpr0304_4
Francis, L. J., & Gibson, H. M. (2001). Growing up Catholic in a Scottish city: The relationship between denominational identity, denominational schools, and attitude toward Christianity among eleven to fifteen year olds. Catholic Education: a journal of inquiry and practice, 5, 39-54.
Francis, L. J., Jones, S. H., Jackson, C. J., & Robbins, M. (2001). The feminine personality profile of male Anglican clergy in Britain and Ireland: A study employing the Eysenck Personality Profiler. Review of Religious Research, 43, 14-23. doi.org/10.2307/3512240
Francis, L. J., & Pearson, P. R. (1985a). Extraversion and religiosity. Journal of Social Psychology, 125, 269-270. doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1985.9922882
Francis, L .J., & Pearson, P. R. (1985b). Psychoticism and religiosity among 15 year olds. Personality and Individual Differences, 6, 397-398. doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(85)90066-2
Francis, L. J., Pearson, P. R., Carter, M., & Kay, W.K. (1981a). Are introverts more religious? British Journal of Social Psychology, 20, 101-104. doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1981.tb00481.x
Francis, L. J., Pearson, P. R., Carter, M., & Kay, W.K. (1981b). The relationship between neuroticism and religiosity among English 15- and 16-year olds. Journal of Social Psychology, 114, 99-102. doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1981.9922731
Francis, L. J., Pearson, P. R., & Kay, W. K. (1983a). Are introverts still more religious? Personality and Individual Differences, 4, 211-212. doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(83)90024-7
Francis, L. J., Pearson, P. R., & Kay, W. K. (1983b). Neuroticism and religiosity among English school children. Journal of Social Psychology, 121, 149-150. doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1983.9924478
Francis, L. J., & Penny, G. (2014). Gender differences in religion. In V. Saroglou (Ed.). Religion, personality and social behaviour (pp. 313-337). New York. Psychology Press.
Francis, L. J., Penny, G., & Neil, P. (2017). Growing up Catholic in Scotland: Not one Catholic community but three. In E. Arweck (Ed.), Young people’s attitudes to religious diversity (pp. 186-203). London: Routledge.
Francis, L. J., Penny, G., & Powell, R. (2018). Assessing peer and parental influence on the religious attitudes and attendance of young churchgoers: Exploring the Australian National Church Life Survey. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 39, 57-72. doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2016.1209923
Francis, L. J., & Robbins, M. (2004). Belonging without believing: A study in the social significance of Anglican identity and implicit religion among 13- to15-year-old males. Implicit Religion, 7, 37-54. doi.org/10.1558/imre.7.1.37.36037
Grace, G. (2002). Catholic Schools: mission, markets and morality. London; New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
Grace, G. (2016). Mission integrity: Contemporary challenges for Catholic school leaders: Beyond the stereotypes of Catholic schooling. In G. Grace (Ed.), Faith, mission and challenge in Catholic education: The selected works of Gerald Grace (pp. 189-204). Abingdon: Routledge.
Grocholewski, Z. (2015). The congregation for Catholic education: How it works to support the educational mission of universities and schools internationally. International Studies in Catholic Education, 7, 134-144.
John Paul II. (1979). Catechesi Tradendae [On catechesis in our time]. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/docu...
John Paul II. (1981). Familiaris consortio [The role of the Christian family in the modern world]. Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/docu...
Kay, W. K., & Francis, L. J. (1996). Drift from the Churches: Attitude toward Christianity during childhood and adolescence. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
Lewis, C. A., & Francis, L. J. (2014). Personality and religion among female university students in France. Psychology, Society and Education, 6(2), 68-81.
Murphy, J. (1971). Church, state and schools in Britain 1800-1970. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Neil, P. S. (2015). Exploring a formal model of discipleship in higher education: Case studies. Rural Theology, 13, 42-53. doi.org/10.1179/1470499415Z.00000000040
Paul V1 (1975). Evangelii-Nuntiandi, retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents...
Rhymer, J., & Francis, L. J. (1985). Roman Catholic secondary schools in Scotland and pupil attitude towards religion. Lumen Vitae, 40, 103-110.
Robbins, M., Francis, L. J., Haley, J. M., & Kay, W. K. (2001). The personality characteristics of Methodist ministers: Feminine men and masculine women? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40, 123-128. doi.org/10.1111/0021-8294.00043
Scotland, J. (1969). The history of Scottish education. London: University of London Press.
Second Vatican Council (1964). Lumen gentium [Dogmatic constitution on the church] Retrieved from the Vatican website on 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/docum...
Second Vatican Council (1965). Gravissimum educationis [Declaration on Christian education]. Retrieved from the Vatican website 26th July 2017: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/docum...
Stock, M. (2005). Christ at the Centre: a summary of why the Church provides Catholic schools. Birmingham: The Diocesan Schools Commission of Birmingham
Village, A. & Francis, L. J. (2016). Measuring the contribution of Roman Catholic secondary schools to students’ religious, personal and social values. Journal of Catholic Education, 19(3), 86-115. doi.org/10.15365/joce.1903062016

Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/88yx1/retaining-young-catholics-in-the-church-assessing-the-importance-of-parental-example

  • 391
    total views
  • 307
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years
Holmes, Sarah E., Olorenshaw, Emma and Casson, Ann 2024. Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years. British Journal of Religious Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2024.2373756
Nexus researching church toddler groups
Casson, A., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M., Watts, T., Clemmey, K., Kemp, N. and Bowie, B. 2024. Nexus researching church toddler groups. Canterbury National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER).
Rethinking the place of the family in the post-Covid church in the UK: an exploration of families’ engagement with church during and after Covid
Casson, A., Holmes, Sarah, Logan, Shelley and Powney, Richard 2023. Rethinking the place of the family in the post-Covid church in the UK: an exploration of families’ engagement with church during and after Covid. Practical Theology. 16 (5), pp. 642-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073x.2023.2221587
Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England
Eisl, Ursula, Woolley, M., Hulbert, Sabina, Casson, Ann and Bowie, Robert A. 2023. Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2023.2171622
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023
Pittaway, A., Casson, A., Watts, T. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023
Casson, A., Pittaway, A., Watts, T. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Prioritising a sense of belonging within the rural nexus: An empirical study of five rural church primary schools
Casson, A., Woolley, M., Hulbert, S. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Prioritising a sense of belonging within the rural nexus: An empirical study of five rural church primary schools. Rural Theology. https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2023.2249659
Lights for the path by John Sullivan, Dublin, Veritas Publications, 2022, 256 pp., €24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1800970267
Casson, A. 2023. Lights for the path by John Sullivan, Dublin, Veritas Publications, 2022, 256 pp., €24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1800970267. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2023.2190666
Paying attention to the spiritual flourishing of young children in church toddler groups: a scoping study evaluating the feasibility of a research study in this context
Casson, A., Woolley, M., Pittaway, Ann, Watts, Tansy, Kemp, Nicola, Bowie, B., Clemmey, Katie and Aantjes, R. 2023. Paying attention to the spiritual flourishing of young children in church toddler groups: a scoping study evaluating the feasibility of a research study in this context. Religions. 14 (2), p. 236. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020236
Known by name: A chaplain's role
Casson, A., Pittaway, A. and Bowie, B. 2022. Known by name: A chaplain's role. Canterbury, UK Canterbury Christ Church University.
Nexus Teachers' Action Pack
Casson, A., Bowie, B., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A. and Woolley, M. 2022. Nexus Teachers' Action Pack.
Faith in the nexus
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2022. Faith in the nexus. National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER).
Exploring faith in the nexus
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Exploring faith in the nexus .
Faith-talk and reflection spaces: an empirical study of Catholic primary school pupil accounts of the exploration of faith at home
Casson, A. 2021. Faith-talk and reflection spaces: an empirical study of Catholic primary school pupil accounts of the exploration of faith at home. in: Catholic Education: a lifelong journey Veritas.
Researching spiritual capital in Catholic education: on the need for theoretical frameworks and more empirical work
Casson, A. 2021. Researching spiritual capital in Catholic education: on the need for theoretical frameworks and more empirical work. in: New thinking, new scholarship and new research in Catholic education: responses to the work of Professor Gerald Grace London Routledge.
Faith in the Nexus: pupil spiritual leadership In school
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: pupil spiritual leadership In school.
Faith in the Nexus and the domestic Church
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus and the domestic Church.
Faith in the Nexus: Let’s talk about death (School and Church)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: Let’s talk about death (School and Church).
Let’s talk about death (Home)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Let’s talk about death (Home).
Faith in the Nexus and Sacraments (Parish Catechists)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus and Sacraments (Parish Catechists).
Exploring faith in the Nexus: resource to use with the parent's animation
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Exploring faith in the Nexus: resource to use with the parent's animation.
Faith in the Nexus: A sense of belonging
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: A sense of belonging.
Faith in the Nexus: spiritual wellbeing and the implications for spiritual leadership
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: spiritual wellbeing and the implications for spiritual leadership.
Faith in the Nexus: children's conversations about faith and spirituality (school and church)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: children's conversations about faith and spirituality (school and church).
Faith in the Nexus: How are we providing reflection time and space
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: How are we providing reflection time and space.
Faith in the Nexus: children's encounters with the Bible
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: children's encounters with the Bible.
Children’s conversations about faith and spirituality (family)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Children’s conversations about faith and spirituality (family) .
Life to the full: the changing landscape of contemporary spirituality: implications for Catholic school religious education by Graham Rossiter, Professor of Moral and Religious Education, NSW, Australia, ASMRE 2018, 140pp, (PDF) ISBN 978-0-9808681-5-9. Free download available from https://asmre.org/book.html
Casson, Ann 2021. Life to the full: the changing landscape of contemporary spirituality: implications for Catholic school religious education by Graham Rossiter, Professor of Moral and Religious Education, NSW, Australia, ASMRE 2018, 140pp, (PDF) ISBN 978-0-9808681-5-9. Free download available from https://asmre.org/book.html. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2020.1868203
Faith in the nexus: Church schools and children’s exploration of faith in the home: A NICER research study of twenty church primary schools in England
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2020. Faith in the nexus: Church schools and children’s exploration of faith in the home: A NICER research study of twenty church primary schools in England. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Religious education for spiritual bricoleurs? The perceptions of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales
Casson, A. and Cooling, T. 2019. Religious education for spiritual bricoleurs? The perceptions of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales. Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2019.1632596
Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity?
Francis, L., McKenna, U. and Casson, A. 2018. Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity? Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2018.1491262
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 2 the case studies
Bowie, R. A., Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Benton, M., Holt, J., James, M., Jarvis, P., McGuire, L., Podesta, E. and Stone, G. 2018. What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 2 the case studies. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 1 final report
Bowie, R. A., Casson, A. and Hulbert, S. 2018. What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 1 final report. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Lessons in spiritual development: learning from leading Christian-ethos secondary schools
Casson, A., Cooling, T. and Francis, L. 2017. Lessons in spiritual development: learning from leading Christian-ethos secondary schools. London Church House Publishing.