What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore how nonreligious parents manage religious differences in intergenerational relationships with grandparents.

March 12, 2026

A grounded theory study of different-gender married parents as gatekeepers in intergenerational relationships with religious differences.

HKHeather H. KelleyUtah State University LMLoren D. MarksBrigham Young University DDDavid C. DollahiteBrigham Young University

Key Points

To explore how nonreligious parents manage religious differences in intergenerational relationships with grandparents.
Grounded theory approach
In-depth interviews with 29 nonreligious different-gender married couples
Focus on parents' perspectives as gatekeepers
Identification of four broad themes related to religious differences
Identified four key themes in navigating religious differences: familial traditions, religious boundaries, conflict over children's upbringing, and children's roles as bridges
Developed a conceptual model to illustrate the dynamics of nonreligious parents and intergenerational relationships

Abstract

Over the past decades, an increasing number of adults in the United States have begun identifying as nonreligious, despite many being raised in religious homes. Research has demonstrated that religious disaffiliation and religious differences can create relational distance and challenges in families. However, little research has explored these impacts on intergenerational relationships. With parents' perspectives as a focal point, given their role as gatekeepers between their children and their children's grandparents, we employed a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth interviews with 29 nonreligious different-gender married couples (N = 58 parents), through which we identified four broad themes related to religious differences in intergenerational relationships: (a) engaging in familial religious traditions, (b) religious boundaries with family of origin, (c) children's upbringing as a point of conflict, and (d) children as a relational bridge. Based on connections between these themes, we developed the first (to our knowledge) conceptual model of how nonreligious parents navigate religious differences and intergenerational relationships, titled the Structure of the Influence of Religious Differences on Intergenerational Relationships model. Implications focused on helping families navigate religious differences both through and independent of therapeutic contexts are offered in light of this model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

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