American Families of Faith

American Families of Faith
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Religion

Drawing on a diverse group of religious families in America, this podcast seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of varied religious families, greater human unity, and inter-religious dialogue. We explore how religious families draw on their spiritual beliefs, religious practices, and faith communities to help them strengthen their marital relationships and their parenting. We desire to bless “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3) as we share what we have discovered. Join us for future episodes where we discuss the strengths in diverse American families of faith. This podcast features conversations about faith and family life between the Co-directors of the American Families of Faith project (http://AmericanFamiliesofFaith.byu.edu) Dr. David Dollahite and Dr. Loren Marks. This podcast is edited, syndicated, and marketed by Laura McKeighen, the Intellectual Products Coordinator for the American Families of Faith project.

  1. Oct 8

    The Silent Revival: How Today’s Youth Anchor Their Faith | Audio Article 59

    "In Malala Yousafzai’s, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, she wrote, “Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead he made me as tall as the sky, so high that I could not measure myself.” Malala’s words are not only inspiring but give insight into the perceived importance and relational nature of religiosity in adolescents. A national Pew Research Center survey found that the majority of youth in America say that religion is important to them. With this in mind, one may wonder how religious adolescents demonstrate their commitment to religion. What do they commit to in their day-to-day lives as a part of their religious identity? "This essay conveys qualitative research from an article published in the Journal of Adolescent Research, coauthored by Emily Layton, David Dollahite, and Sam Hardy. The sample included 80 religiously diverse adolescents from highly religious families. They ranged in age from 10 to 21 years and lived in multiple areas of the United States. Throughout the interviews with these youth, seven “anchors of religious commitment” came to light: a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; b) God; c) faith tradition or denomination; d) faith community members; e) parents; f) scriptures or sacred texts, and g) religious leaders." Kyra Nielson reads the article, "The Silent Revival: How Today’s Youth Anchor Their Faith," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on October 23, 2023.

  2. Sep 17

    Sacred Encounters: Glimpsing the Divine | Audio Article 58

    In this article (Part 3/3 of this series on the empirical power of spiritual experience), I share some ways to think about spiritual experience and sacred experiences that I hope are helpful in strengthening your hope in eternal things. My hope is that the ideas and suggestions in this article will encourage and assist you in recording (e.g., in writing, audio, or video recording) your sacred personal experiences and describing your spiritual experience for the benefit of those you love. Kyra Nielson reads the article, "Sacred Encounters: Glimpsing the Divine," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on October 23, 2023.

  3. Aug 13

    Sacred Encounters. Answered Prayers | Audio Article 57

    "In this article I share three sacred spiritual experiences the Lord blessed me with that have given me “reason for the hope” that I have in religious realities (1 Peter 3:15). I share three accounts about those experiences in the hope that these accounts will encourage faith and encourage you to record your own spiritual experience(s)." Kyra Nielson reads the article, "Sacred Encounters. Answered Prayers," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on October 6, 2023.

  4. Jul 9

    The Empirical Power of Spiritual Experience | Audio Article 56

    "Interest in exploring reasons for religious hope has become increasingly prevalent. Some readers might be seeking answers or guidance for loved ones who are undergoing religious questioning, doubting, or even experiencing a faith crisis. Others may be hoping for some spiritual inoculation against such serious religious doubts for themselves and those they love." Kyra Nielson reads the article, "The Empirical Power of Spiritual Experience," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on September 6, 2023.

  5. Jun 11

    When Loving Yourself Meets Loving Your Neighbor | Audio Article 55

    "“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,”1 ranks as one of the most repeated verbatim command phrases in the Bible. We frequently forget, however, that this wisdom has two parts: loving our neighbors and loving ourselves. A central part of life’s journey includes finding a healthy balance or harmony between caring for ourselves (self-care) and engaging in acts of sacrifice to help others. For those who take their religion seriously, these choices often are often informed by their faith." Kyra Nielson reads the article, "When Loving Yourself Meets Loving Your Neighbor," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on September 25, 2023.

  6. May 14

    From Struggle to Strength: Adversity in Religious Families | Audio Article 54

    "In a landmark article on the power of negative experiences, Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, and Vohs (2001) demonstrated that across the clear majority of domains studied by psychologists (including relationship research), “bad is stronger than good.” Baumeister and colleagues found that “bad events will have longer lasting and more intense consequences than good events” (p. 325); that “single bad events are far stronger than even the strongest good ones” (p. 326); that “close relationships are more deeply and conclusively affected by destructive actions than by constructive ones” (p. 355); and that “Hardly any exceptions (indicating greater power of good) can be found” (p. 323).  "At the same time, a large and growing body of research has demonstrated that religion and spirituality, diversely measured, are associated with a wide range of benefits to individuals, couples, and families. Those benefits have been connected to the capacity of religious beliefs, practices, and communities to provide meaning, structure, and social support. If religion and spirituality can help, how does this help occur? Are religious and spiritual experiences part of the reason why religiosity and spirituality have been helpful?" Kyra Nielson reads the article, "From Struggle to Strength: Adversity in Religious Families," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on August 16, 2023.

  7. Apr 10

    The Power of Repentance to Help Relational Healing | Audio Article 53

    "For many immersed in 21st-century culture, the idea of repentance may be jarringly akin to “shaming,” guilt-tripping, or fear-based condemnation. These connotations suggest links to depression, anxiety, and relational struggles and strife.   "In sharp contrast, however, many of the roughly 200 wives and husbands we interviewed in our American Families of Faith project—people with religious and relational strengths—discussed repentance as personal transformative change that has strengthened or even saved their marriage, their parent-child relationships, or both. For them, repentance is not a dark night of the soul, but the dawn of a better day for them and their loved ones." Kyra Nielson reads the article, "The Power of Repentance to Help Relational Healing," which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on October 22, 2025.

  8. Mar 12

    Prophets, the Proclamation, and the “Arena of Warring Gods” | Audio Article 52

    "Sociologist Roger Friedman recently wrote that we live in a world that is “an arena of warring gods.” From a social science perspective, those gods include the economic and political gods of money, fame, and power. "Other “gods” include consumerism, pop icons, and football. Super Bowl Sunday features this trifecta in living color via a billion-dollar arena filled with worshippers of the church of the oval brown ball, with a rock and roll deity making an appearance at half time, while the television audience is regaled with multi-million dollar commercials urging us to give our cash offerings to a variety of companies. Indeed, in the words of Dave Ramsey, 'We spend money we don’t have, on things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like.'" Loren Marks reads the article, "Prophets, the Proclamation, and the 'Arena of Warring Gods,'" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on May 20, 2024.

See All (81)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Drawing on a diverse group of religious families in America, this podcast seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of varied religious families, greater human unity, and inter-religious dialogue. We explore how religious families draw on their spiritual beliefs, religious practices, and faith communities to help them strengthen their marital relationships and their parenting. We desire to bless “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3) as we share what we have discovered. Join us for future episodes where we discuss the strengths in diverse American families of faith. This podcast features conversations about faith and family life between the Co-directors of the American Families of Faith project (http://AmericanFamiliesofFaith.byu.edu) Dr. David Dollahite and Dr. Loren Marks. This podcast is edited, syndicated, and marketed by Laura McKeighen, the Intellectual Products Coordinator for the American Families of Faith project.

Information

  • Creator
    American Families of Faith
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    American Families of Faith