Lance Korell

A 35-year longitudinal study asked how parents pass on their spiritual and religious convictions. The study found 2 surprising results: First, “having a close bond with one’s father matters even more than a close relationship with one’s mother.” In other words, fathers have influence, whether they want to or not. Second, the relationship with the father must be warm and close. A father can be a pillar of the church, a moral exemplar, and have perfectly correct theology, but if he is perceived as cold and distant, the child will not follow him--will not adopt his religious convictions. amazon.com/Families-Faith-Re…