Parenting in the Baptist Tradition: Understanding the Influence of Faith on Family Dynamics
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigated the impact of Baptist Christianity on parenting styles and children’s morality in the Sakumono zone, focusing on discipline, nurturing, guidance, and moral decision-making. Through purposive sampling and interviews with 20 participants from different Baptist churches in Sakumono, a suburb of Accra, the research revealed how Baptist beliefs shaped parenting practices, emphasizing doctrinal teachings, discipline, and moral integrity. The study highlighted the significance of prayer and Bible reading in fostering children’s spiritual growth and encouraging independent moral choices, with family dynamics reflecting a strong faith where children actively corrected parents if their actions contradicted scripture, promoting forgiveness, love, and loyalty. These findings contribute to understanding Moral Development Theory within the Baptist tradition and offer practical guidance for professionals working with Baptist families, recommending policy interventions to integrate religious education and support family-based initiatives. Acknowledging limitations such as sample size and potential biases, the study suggested future research to broaden its scope and enhance understanding across diverse religious denominations and geographical areas, fostering interfaith dialogue and collaboration to enrich discussions on religion, parenting, and morality. Keywords: Baptist, Parenting, Morality, Christianity
Authors: Michael Ampofo, Victor Selorme Gedzi, John Kwaku Opoku
Institution: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $100
Funder: Universiteit Stellenbosch
OpenAlex ID: W4414653776