Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study

Our article analyzes data from a broader exploratory Italian study on youth imaginaries and the role of narratives in attributing meaning to the world. The research gathered responses from 872 young people (aged 18 to 23) through a digital questionnaire. The data were analyzed with quantitative meth...

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Main Authors: Michele Caputo, Tommaso Rompianesi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1385
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author Michele Caputo
Tommaso Rompianesi
author_facet Michele Caputo
Tommaso Rompianesi
author_sort Michele Caputo
collection DOAJ
description Our article analyzes data from a broader exploratory Italian study on youth imaginaries and the role of narratives in attributing meaning to the world. The research gathered responses from 872 young people (aged 18 to 23) through a digital questionnaire. The data were analyzed with quantitative methodology using descriptive statistics. Our research questions can be formulated as follows: What level of familiarity do respondents have with biblical narratives? What narrative themes and categories do they use to define those stories? In relation to these elements, what are the characteristics of the respondents’ subgroups that defined themselves as “Religious”, “Indifferent/Agnostic”, and “Atheist”? The questionnaire items analyzed in this article provide an account of the respondents’ familiarity with some biblical narratives and their characters (Abraham, Jacob, and Ruth), as well as their choices related to the stories’ narrative themes and categories. The results from our sample open the field for further investigations, particularly in contexts characterized by different religious backgrounds (e.g., Protestant contexts), which may offer more nuanced interpretations of the educational process in relation to religious identity.
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spelling doaj-art-aee4f175e4bf4825b243492336d9de192025-08-20T02:27:38ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-11-011511138510.3390/rel15111385Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory StudyMichele Caputo0Tommaso Rompianesi1Department of the Arts, University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Education, University of Bergen, 5015 Bergen, NorwayOur article analyzes data from a broader exploratory Italian study on youth imaginaries and the role of narratives in attributing meaning to the world. The research gathered responses from 872 young people (aged 18 to 23) through a digital questionnaire. The data were analyzed with quantitative methodology using descriptive statistics. Our research questions can be formulated as follows: What level of familiarity do respondents have with biblical narratives? What narrative themes and categories do they use to define those stories? In relation to these elements, what are the characteristics of the respondents’ subgroups that defined themselves as “Religious”, “Indifferent/Agnostic”, and “Atheist”? The questionnaire items analyzed in this article provide an account of the respondents’ familiarity with some biblical narratives and their characters (Abraham, Jacob, and Ruth), as well as their choices related to the stories’ narrative themes and categories. The results from our sample open the field for further investigations, particularly in contexts characterized by different religious backgrounds (e.g., Protestant contexts), which may offer more nuanced interpretations of the educational process in relation to religious identity.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1385Bible narrativesyouth imaginaryyoung adultsteaching of Catholic religion (TCR)religious identityCatholic education
spellingShingle Michele Caputo
Tommaso Rompianesi
Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
Religions
Bible narratives
youth imaginary
young adults
teaching of Catholic religion (TCR)
religious identity
Catholic education
title Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
title_full Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
title_fullStr Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
title_full_unstemmed Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
title_short Bible Narratives and Youth Religious Identity: An Italian Exploratory Study
title_sort bible narratives and youth religious identity an italian exploratory study
topic Bible narratives
youth imaginary
young adults
teaching of Catholic religion (TCR)
religious identity
Catholic education
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1385
work_keys_str_mv AT michelecaputo biblenarrativesandyouthreligiousidentityanitalianexploratorystudy
AT tommasorompianesi biblenarrativesandyouthreligiousidentityanitalianexploratorystudy