Role Of Religious Socialization

Religious Socialization as a Shaper of Leisure Attitudes

Religious socialization has to do with the process of learning about a religious world. Religious socialization, like socialization in general, occurs most often as a natural part of growing up. For example, we learn a religious language which enables us to perceive the actions of God in the world around us (Lundskow, 2008). We learn to differentiate the physical and spiritual location of a “church,” “mosque” or “synagogue” from “home,” and the different behaviors are appropriate to each. We learn that the Bible, Qur’an, and Torah are a special books, to be approached in a special way, making powerful demands on our thoughts and deeds. In other words, religious socialization is a process of education, and through this education we learn to see the world differently—as a world of religious significance.

Religious socialization typically begins in the home and then is undertaken at the congregational level (e.g.- church, mosque, or synagogue). At both points the individual begins to learn and internalize attitudes, values, and behaviors within the context of a religious system of beliefs and practices. Furthermore, religious socialization as a process is a lifetime endeavor (Neugarten, 1977). To the extent that individuals are involved in a church or religious belief system, and exposed to doctrine, a socializing influence occurs (Brown & Gary, 1990). The process of interacting with others as well as exposure to