Lofton, “Religion and Authority in American Parenting”

Kathryn Lofton; Religion and the Authority in American Parenting, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 84, Issue 3, 1 September 2016, Pages 806–841, 

Abstract: This article reimagines the history of parenting as a subject for the study of religion. Through a schematic description of parenting in the United States, I observe the expanded responsibilities and increased social expectations for parents in the formation of child identity. Focusing on the concept of parental authority, I argue that the relationship of authority between parent and child is an important document of religious history in a secular age, and encourage future scholars to explore parenting habits, prescriptions, and admonitions as an archive for religious studies.