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Hesder yeshivot are post-high-school institutions within a unique branch of the IDF where religious Zionist yeshiva students spend part of their army service engaged in higher Torah learning and the remainder doing active military service. The hesder (meaning 'arrangement' in Hebrew) yeshivot provide a solution to the long-debated issue of army service for religious youth, but they also play an important role as agents for social change in religious Zionist society. The article traces the history of the first hesder yeshviot during the 1960s and 1970s, based on hitherto unexplored archival sources, and assesses their influence on Religious Zionism and the extensive social and religious changes they introduced., INTRODUCTION ON YOM HA'ATZMAUT 1991, THE PRESTIGIOUS ISRAEL PRIZE WAS awarded to the hesder yeshivot for their 'special contribution to society and the state.' (1) The hesder yeshivot are post-high-school [...]

In our plural society, interfaith marriages and multicultural families have become a new normal and are either considered problematic for the religious communities or welcomed as a contribution to a secular and more peaceful world. In the course of my work with European Muslims, I could accompany such families through a few generations. In this article, I am going to outline some typical challenges and crises in such relationships and their effects on young people growing up in mixed families, adding my observations of how they can be dealt with. Ultimately, there is a chance that, through dialogue, it provides a meaningful learning environment that prepares young people for the diverse reality of the world today. Keywords: challenges, diversity, interfaith marriage, learning environment, multicultural family, I could now add my own story of how I grew up in the tension field between Protestant and Catholic family members and in the shadows of recent German history, [...]

The more religiously committed parents are, the more they want their children to grow up believing and practicing the family's religion. This is especially true of parents who are religiously [...]

For many people popular culture offers a starting point for their attempts to understand the world and God. Much religious reflection begins, in Anselm's words, as 'faith seeking understanding.' Though [...]

This paper argues that a theology of accommodation can provide help to those wishing to integrate youth and children into an intergenerational local church. It will be demonstrated that God's accommodation to humanity is not only communicative, but behavioral, and that in the New Testament we see that this behavioral accommodation principle is normative for relationships within the church. Through an examination of 1 Corinthians 8-11:1, this paper demonstrates that those with authority and knowledge in the church are to accommodate those without, which almost invariably implies youth and children. Christians are to imitate Christ, and so as God accommodates in Christ, those with authority and knowledge follow suit. Keywords: intergenerational church, accommodation, youth, children., Introduction How to integrate youth and children into intergenerational churches presents somewhat of an impasse given the issues identified by several authors (articulated by Cray, 2002; Emery-Wright, 2012; Hickford, 2003; [...]

Abstract: This is an examination of the experience of adolescent conversion, with particular attention to teenagers who report having made multiple commitments to Christ. Conversion of these teenagers is seen [...]

The Second Vatican Council cautioned regarding the increasing secularization of Western societies that the greatest error of our age is the separation between faith and life. Through its history of the kingdoms of Buddhism and Hinduism, 350 years of Western colonization and growth of Islam, Indonesia claims to place religion in high regard. Citizens are obligated to proclaim one of the six recognized religions. All schools allocate four hours of religious teaching weekly. Critics doubt that the teaching of religion in schools will help solve problems. Corruption is rampant and ethnic-religious conflicts are increasing despite the people's claim as a religious nation. The challenge, then, is to integrate religious and character education into the core as well as hidden curriculum and teach students to nurture their faith and moral sense throughout their schooling. This essay explores how religious and character education in the school curriculum endeavors to prepare young people to enhance their intellectual capabilities and form them to be people of faith and character., INDONESIA AT A CROSSROADS Twenty-five years is a brief time in the history of human civilization. Yet, as the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies finds it worthy to be thinking of [...]

Several recent studies have focused on emerging adults in the United States, considering the spiritual and religious lives of high school teens (ages 14-18) (1) or of twenty-somethings (ages 19-29). [...]

'We only become truly human in genuine dialogue with others.' --Maurice Friedman What if you had spent more than sixty years studying/thinking/teaching/mentoring/writing, only to have one last lecture (and that [...]

Abstract: Relationships among level (i.e., frequency) of youth ministry (YM) participation, faith-nurturing characteristics of YM, and faith maturity were examined in 742 second-generation Korean American adolescents (SGKAAs) in 7th through [...]

Abstract: This article explores the correlation between adolescents' spiritual growth and discipleship and the attitudes and belief of family, friends, and the local congregation in their role of equipping/discipling these [...]

Abstract: In this modified Delphi study, a panel of four intergenerational ministry experts was interviewed to determine specific factors critical to consider when establishing intergenerational youth ministry within an existing [...]

I believe it was around 1997 when I was first introduced to Rodney Clapp's A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society (1996). Clapp argues that Christianity [...]

Introduction This article reviews two studies that were conducted in two very different eras of recent history: 1950 and the beginning of the 21st century. The participants in the two [...]

Differences between boys' and girls' exposure to terror and posttraumatic symptoms were examined in a sample of 2,999 Israeli adolescents. Gender differences were also assessed regarding perceived social support, religious beliefs, and ideological commitment. Results indicate that girls reported more posttraumatic symptoms than boys, although boys reported twice the rate of very severe symptoms. Differences were also found between boys and girls in levels of fear, religiosity, ideological commitment, and social support, but not regarding exposure. Path analysis revealed that gender is not a direct predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, it does have an indirect effect, especially through fear, which was the best predictor of PTSD. Social extrinsic religiosity and ideological intolerance were positive predictors of PTSD. The study concludes that gender differences in PTSD are largely the result of differences in levels of fear and are not due to differences in political ideology, religiosity, or social support. Keywords: gende; post trauma; adolescence; terror

Abstract The paper presents survey and interview data from twenty-five Sri Lankan Tamil youth in Ontario, specifically dealing with the interaction between religion and ethnicity, the experience and expression of [...]

The relationships between endorsement of religious values, some of the major personality dimensions, and social and emotional well being amongst teenagers are assessed using three waves of data.

The article views on the importance of preaching to the youth and how one can contribute to the ways of doing it.

The purpose of this article is to examine the socially constructed nature of the story telling process by drawing on an example from one locality in Northern Ireland. The research draws on focus group interviews with teenagers from polarized working-class communities in North Belfast. The overall locality is divided into Catholic and Protestant areas and a recurring feature of the data is the tendency for each group to define themselves in opposition to the other. Throughout the focus group interviews, the teenagers produced four types of stories and the article assesses the relevance of each type to producing, reproducing or challenging sectarian divisions. The first three groups of stories, First-hand stories, Second-hand stories and Collective stories reflect individual and group attitudes to distinctions between 'us' and 'them' while the fourth. Alternative stories, questions the homogeneity of the in group and the immutability of these divisions, These stories verbalize the internal recollections of both individuals and groups and rely on real and imagined memories. The thrust of the article illustrates the ways in which sectarian identities are constructed, shaped and diluted through these narrative encounters. KEY WORDS Northern Ireland / sectarianism / story telling / teenagers

We used data from a nationally representative sample of US adolescents in school grades 7 through 12 to explore the effects of public and private religiosity on initiation, escalation, and cessation of smoking. We found that adolescents' decisions to experiment with smoking are influenced by both their individual practice of their faith and by participation in a larger faith community. However, the effects of private and public religiosity are specific to different decision points on the smoking uptake process. Private religiosity was protective against initiation of regular smoking among nonsmokers. It also was protective against initiation of experimental smoking but only when the young person frequently attended religious services or a religious youth group. Although private religiosity appeared to discourage the uptake of smoking, it was unrelated to reduction or cessation once a young person has become addicted to cigarettes. In contrast public religiosity did predict reduction and cessation of cigarette use among regular smokers. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the domains in which religiosity are important extend beyond the individual and include religious institutions. Keywords: USA; Religiosity; Adolescents; Smoking uptake; Cessation; Transitions

Byline: Marie Good (1), Teena Willoughby (2) Keywords: adolescent development; religiosity; spirituality; psychosocial adjustment; risk behaviors Abstract: This study investigated the interaction between religiosity (defined as church attendance) and spirituality (defined as personal beliefs in God or a higher power) on psychosocial adjustment. Four groups were created capturing 4 different religious/spiritual orientations. Differences were assessed between the groups on a wide range of psychosocial indicators. Participants included 6578 adolescents ages 13--18 encompassing a school district in Ontario, Canada. Results were striking with regards to the consistency with which religious youth reported more positive adjustment than did non-religious youth, regardless of level of spirituality. Spirituality may not be as salient an influence on behavior as religiosity. The secondary analyses indicated that the advantage for religiosity may not be entirely unique to church attendance, but rather a function of being part of any community. However, where religiosity may be uniquely associated with adjustment (over and above benefits associated with participation in any community) is in lower levels of risk behaviors. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1 (2) Department of Psychology/Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada Article History: Registration Date: 16/12/2005 Received Date: 05/05/2005 Accepted Date: 17/06/2005 Online Date: 16/02/2006 Article note: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Research interests include adolescent psychosocial development, religiosity, and identity formation. Department of Psychology/Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Research interests include youth resilience, particularly with regard to academic underachievement and media/technology influence on lifestyle choices.

This exploratory study examined religious identity among Christian Korean-American adolescents. Marcia's 1966 model of identity formation, which conceptualizes identity along dimensions of exploration and commitment, provided the framework for the current study. 49 participants, between the ages of 14 and 19 years, completed the Duke Religion Index, the religion items from the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, the Pan-denominational Measure of Personal Devotion and Personal Conservatism, and six questions assessing perceived parental involvement. Analysis indicated that high scores on Organizational and Intrinsic Religiosity were positively correlated with the commitment statuses of Achievement and Foreclosure and negatively correlated with the noncommitment statuses of Moratorium and Diffusion. Also high scores on perceived parental involvement were positively correlated with the nonexploration status of Foreclosure and negatively correlated with the exploration status of Moratorium. Overall, the study provided a general portrait and initial examination of the formation of religious identity in a sample of Christian Korean-American adolescents.

Much more has been documented about the influence of religion on parenting practices than on how the former may shape family life from the perspective of adolescents. Building a conceptual model of religion and changing family relations, we assessed the particular influence of adolescent religious change on the dynamics of their relationships with their parents, and overall satisfaction with their families. Employing data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), results suggested that growth in personal religious salience-how important religion is in adolescents' lives-is uniquely and consistently related to better family relations, even after accounting for behavioral changes-such as excessive drinking and drug abuse-that are detrimental to both religiosity and family relations.

How ought psychologists to respond to adolescents who experience sexual identity confusion? Does it make a difference if teens report religious conflicts or strain with respect to their experiences of same-sex attraction, behavior, or identity? This article considers adolescents who experience same-sex attraction and religious conflicts and offers recommendations to psychologists who provide services to these adolescents. The 3 primary goals of this article are to (a) clarify the religious and sexual-identity developmental contexts in which some adolescents find themselves experiencing same-sex attraction, (b) identify some of the religious conflicts that may occur for adolescents, and (c) offer suggestions for addressing religious conflicts faced by adolescents who experience same-sex attraction. Keywords: sexual identity, adolescent sexuality, gay and lesbian issues, religious conflicts

Using the secularization theory and the Marxist notion of religion as masking class conscience one would expect the importance of religion and religious involvement today to wane and be limited to lower class members. To challenge this expectation, using a representative national telephone survey of 2004 youth (ages 11-18) and their parents, we attempt to answer the following two questions: How religious are teenagers, and what may explain variation in religious perception and involvement among teens. Findings suggest that religion remains perceived as very important by most teenagers and parents report that about two-thirds of teenagers attended a place of worship at least monthly and that two out of five attended a social group sponsored by a religious organization. These findings do not support the secularization theory. As expected, parental attendance of religious worship, teen's age, and teen's ethnicity and gender were significantly associated with three variables of religious behavior and attendance. In contrast to the Marxist notion of religion, measures of socio-economic status indicate that, in the contemporary United States, religious participation, but not beliefs, is largely the domain of the middle-upper classes.

Although existing literature demonstrates that developmental benefits are associated with religion for adolescents, little is understood about the dynamics of this relationship. Drawing on social capital theory, this study tested a conceptual model exploring socially embedded religious influences on moral outcomes. A three-dimensional model of social capital demonstrated how social interaction, trust, and shared vision enable social ties associated with religiousness to influence moral behavior. Structural equation modeling was used with data gathered from 735 urban youths to test a proposed model of the effects of religiousness on moral outcomes. Results suggested that religiously active youths report higher levels of social capital resources and that the influence of adolescent religiousness on moral outcomes was mediated through social capital resources. Suggestions for further research and implications for faith-based youth development organizations are considered.

Adolescents are objects of recruitment for religious cults. Identifying new religious movements, cults, and dissenting religious groups, understanding their practices, and discovering reasons for their attractiveness to some students are [...]

Recent reviews suggest that religiosity is associated with the delay of adolescent coital debut (Rostosky, Wilcox, Wright, & Randall, in press; Wilcox, Rostosky, Randall, & Wright, 2001). Few studies, however, have examined this association using longitudinal data to test theoretically driven models. We analyzed data from 3,691 adolescents (ages 15-21), testing the hypothesis that adolescent religiosity and sex attitudes (at Wave 1) predict later coital debut (at Wave 2) and that these predictive relationships vary by gender Findings indicated that beyond demographic factors and number of romantic partners, religiosity reduced the likelihood of coital debut for both males and females. After accounting for the effects of religiosity, anticipation of negative emotions after coital debut (sex attitude factor 1)further reduced its likelihood for females and males. Finally, adolescent girls--but not boys--who anticipated positive emotions following sexual intercourse (sex attitude factor 2) were more likely to debut. While virginity pledge status was associated with coital debut for boys and girls, more conservative beliefs about sex appeared to mediate its' effect. Finally, a significant interaction between race and religiosity indicated that African American adolescent males who had either signed a virginity pledge or were more religious were significantly more likely to debut than both White non-Hispanic males and African American males who were less religious and/or who had not signed a pledge. The implications of these results for adolescent pregnancy prevention programming are discussed., Research on adolescent development has shown that an earlier coital debut is associated with increased health risks such as sexually transmitted diseases and early pregnancy and child-bearing. As a developmental [...]

A large body of empirical studies shows that religion often serves as a factor promoting positive, healthy outcomes in the lives of American adolescents. This research note reports findings of one test of a 'network closure' explanation of these religious effects. It uses the national Survey of Parents and Youth (1998-1999) data to examine the relationship between religious participation and five measures of network closure. The findings support the hypothesis that participation in American religious congregations increases network closure between the parents of youth and their children's friends, their children's friends' parents, and their children's teachers.

A large body of empirical studies shows that religion often serves as a factor promoting positive, healthy outcomes in the lives of American adolescents. Yet existing theoretical explanations for these religious effects remain largely disjointed and fragmented. This article attempts to formulate a more systematic, integrated, and coherent account of religion's constructive influence in the lives of American youth, suggesting nine key factors (moral directives, spiritual experiences, role models, community and leadership skills, coping skills, cultural capital, social capital, network closure, and extra-community links) that cluster around three key dimensions of influence (moral order, learned competencies, and social and organizational ties).

Using the NELS data set from the 1988-1992 period, this study assessed the effects of student religious commitment among twelfth graders who lived in a non-intact family on their academic achievement. This study first focused upon the effects of religiosity on all the students living in non-intact families in the sample and then specifically addressed the effects of religiosity on Black and Hispanic children living in non-intact families. The results indicate that students with a high level of religiosity did better than less religious students on most measures of academic achievement, even when controlling for SES and gender. These results held for all students living in non-intact families, as well as for Black and Hispanic children living in non-intact families. These results suggest that religiosity may help many children from single-parent families to do well in school. KEYWORDS. Achievement, African American, family structure, Hispanic, religiosity

Predictors of youth religiosity were developed from eight domains: childhood training, religious schooling, cognitive ability, psychodynamic need, parenting style, role models, family life cycle, and background demographics. Data are from the National Survey of Children (NSC). Predictors were assessed when participants were 7-11 and 11-16 years of age. Religiosity was assessed when participants were 17-22 years (N = 1,046). After identifying the best predictors within a domain, an across-domain regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors' relative contributions. The best predictors of youth religiosity were ethnicity and peers' church attendance during high school. Other predictors were, in order of decreasing magnitude: residence in the south, gender, religious schooling during childhood, maternal religiosity, church attendance during childhood, the importance mothers placed on childhood religious training, and an interaction variable identifying religious mothers who were very supportive. These analyses attest to the primacy of religious role models in the development of youth religiosity.

Sociologists know surprisingly little about the religious lives of adolescents in the United States. This article begins to redress that unfortunate lack of knowledge by examining descriptive findings on adolescent religious participation from three recent, reputable national surveys of American youth. We present descriptive statistics on three fundamental aspects of youth religious participation: religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and involvement in church youth groups. We also examine the influences of gender, race, age, and region on these religious outcomes. This descriptive inquiry should help to heighten broader understanding of and to lay down a baseline of essential information about American adolescent religious participation. Further research is needed to investigate the social influence of different kinds of religiosity on various outcomes in the lives of American youth.

This article examines the role of religion in the youth of Russia. The author, analyzing the results from a sociological survey, maintains the religiosity of today's youth is very complex, however, compared with the youth of the past they have more positive feelings toward religion, with the majority stating they believe in a supernatural power.

A sample of 1,021 young people attending Years 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 at Catholic secondary schools within the state-maintained sector completed the Dutch translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The data support its reliability and validity and commend it for further use in studies conducted among young people in The Netherlands.

Billy Graham's endorsement of the Jesus Movement in the 1970s served to win public approval for the counterculture movement and functioned as a bridge between the youth and the evangelical movement. During a period of vast gaps between parents and their hippie children, the acceptance of the Jesus Movement's 'One way to God' slogan marked an effort to find middle ground. Graham's personal experience with his son made him open-minded toward youth movements and his stance helped the resurgence of the evangelical movement.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, it is an honor and a privilege to speak to you under the rubric of a council of churches, as General Secretary of the Canadian [...]

While it seems that most young people today are generally less religious than their parents (Voas 2010), some people argue that young people today are purposeless, inarticulate individuals without clear [...]

Many churches are struggling with the issue of a youth ministry and attempting to draw young people to the faith without recognizing that many of the structures of the church are barriers to youth participation. The faith is enough in itself to draw young participants, but churches must recognize the needs and problems of young people so that traditional structures and generational conflicts do not push them away. Church leaders should be open to discussion with their new members and encourage active participation in all workings of the church without limiting young people to youth activities.

A 1968 World Council of Churches Youth Department position paper, 'Youth in God's World' has influenced youth participation in church activities and decision making with its 1960s philosophy based on an outspoken, active youth. However, 1984 was the first year when the World Council of Churches reached out and actively involved students and youth in their ecumenical activities and supported those who were already active. Youth participation is mainly focused on social justice issues and their activities should be supported.

Christian young people and students from Africa met for the Fourth All-Africa Youth and Students Assembly, Aug 12-21, 1990, to evaluate the economic, social and political situations in Africa. The Assembly encouraged Christian youth and students to become involved in their churches' decision-making and for the church and political leaders to recognize the active participation of youths. They supported recognition of human and child rights, encouraged a resolution of the debt crisis, restoration of democracy and an end to violence against students and civil war.

Young Catholics from Spanish, English and French cultures are divided between believing in Christ as a historical figure and as a part of their present-day lives. Spanish youth supports Christ's message, emphasizing his relations with people, and are active church members while French and English youth have a harder time becoming involved with the church even though they also support Christ's message.

Youth in many countries, including Spanish, English and French cultures, are faced with contradictions and influences that block them from understanding the meaning of life and they should look to faith for this understanding. Materialism, the media, social crises and religious and cultural conflicts all prevent understanding but, for young people from each of these cultures, faith has served as a guide and support to help them overcome these obstacles.

Christian youth in the 1980s and 1990s are interested in being involved with the church even though they are often excluded from discussions of the future. The Ecumenical Global Gathering of Youth and Students is designed to tap into that energy and willingness to help young Christians become involved. The organization's goals reflect a need for unity among Christians and the discussion of ideas such as religious education and the liturgy that are not new issues but still must be resolved in the pursuit of Christian unity.

The ecumenical youth movement needs to address the needs and concerns of 1990s youth while counteracting the prevailing philosophy that they are expendable. Youth are often the gauge of problems within the church because they are more sensitive but are affected by many issues that will become problems for the rest of the congregation such as exclusivity and devaluing of participants. Young people are willing and able to work for the movement but they need to be given a sense of their value and their essential contribution to the movement.