Sept. 12, 2018
Bereaved children whose late mothers were very religious are likely to be less religious after their mother dies than youths who did not suffer a maternal loss. Conversely, children whose late mothers placed no importance on religion are more likely to become religious — especially when it comes to praying often. But overall—while youths who experienced a mother’s death are less likely to attend church—they are more likely to say that religion is important in their lives as young adults, according to a study by Baylor sociologist Renae Wilkinson. The study was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. (Terry Goodrich, assistant director of Baylor Media Communications, pitched this story nationally. She covers sociology research and faculty.)

Sept. 11, 2018
Bereaved children whose late mothers were very religious are likely to be less religious after their mother dies than youths who did not suffer a maternal loss. Conversely, children whose late mothers placed no importance on religion are more likely to become religious — especially when it comes to praying often. But overall — while youths who experienced a mother’s death are less likely to attend church — they are more likely to say that religion is important in their lives as young adults, according to a study by Renae Wilkinson, a sociologist and doctoral candidate in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences.