Spiritual formation in the home: an analysis of family devotions and quality of parent–child relationships
摘要
Parents play an important role in shaping the faith of their children. Prior research demonstrates that the quality of parent–child relationships and the incorporation of spiritual disciplines into the home matter to faith formation. However, the association between spiritual disciplines and the quality of parent–child relationships has not previously been explored. We consider a particular spiritual discipline—family devotions—which we define as the regular and intentional spiritual discipline practiced in the home that incorporates Bible reading, prayer, and other devotional materials. We survey a sample of 2397 parents of children enrolled in private Christian schools on family devotions practices and parent–child relationships. We find that parents who report consistently engaging in family devotions are more likely to report willingness to talk with their child about faith, spending quality time as a family, and openness to other conversations with their child.