"Train up a child in the way...": A qualitative study of how the black church influences parents

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2008

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that many African Americans receive social, economic, and other support from their churches. However, comparatively little is known about how the Black Church supports its members' efforts as parents. To address this weakness in the research, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 African Americans who were actively involved in Black churches (in DE, IL, LA, MA, and OR). Participants represented several religious denominations and were from a variety of social classes and educational levels. The participants were asked questions that explored how their religion supported them as parents. The qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology to identify themes that were mentioned repeatedly by the participants. This paper will explore three of those themes: (a) The Bible as a Guide to Parenting: "Go to the Bible to Help You"; (b) Church as a Provider of Programs, Models, and Mentors: "This [Church] Helps Me"; and (c) Parenting Is a Sacred Responsibility: "My Children Are God's Gift to Me." Narratives will be offered to support and illustrate each of these themes. Implications and applications will be discussed. © 2008 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Family Relations 21st Century Issues and Challenges

First Page

151

Last Page

168

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