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Abstract

Although shared practices are central to religious socialization, relationships empower such sharing. Familial relationships are the most durable and effective of such relationships, even when family form varies. Though many ethnic and faith groups tend to emphasize patriarchal leadership within congregations and families, in fact, matriarchs serve as the spiritual anchors for succeeding generations in a surprising number of three (and more) generation families. Data supporting this assertion are a part of the results of the Three Generations Project, a study of faith families within Churches of Christ.

Author Bio

Ron Bruner (DMin, Abilene Christian University) has served as the executive director of Westview Boys’ Home in Hollis, Oklahoma, since 1999. He co‐edited Along the Way: Conversations about Children and Faith with Dana Kennamer. He co‐edited Owning Faith: Reimagining the Role of Church & Family in the Faith Journey of Teenagers with Dudley Chancey. Because of his interest in practical theology—especially in the fields of intergenerational, children’s, and youth ministry—Ron edits the e‐journal Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry. He and his wife, Ann, enjoy life with their three adult children and six grandchildren.

Dudley Chancey (PhD, University of Tennessee) served as professor of youth ministry at Oklahoma Christian University from 1998-2023. He is involved in several professional organizations including the National Council on Family Relations, Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, Association of Youth Ministry Educators, and the National Conference on Youth Ministries. Dudley is dedicated to Honduras family mission trips at OCU. He co‐edited Owning Faith: Reimagining the Role of Church & Family in the Faith Journey of Teenagers with Ron Bruner. Dudley is married to Vicki and has two adult children and three grandchildren.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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