Religious Education and Adolescent Kindness: A Qualitative Study among Students in Christian Secondary Schools

AbstractThis article explores religious and spiritual influences that motivate adolescents to show kindness toward their peers who are outside their friend group. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 21 students from eight Christian high schools show the importance of presence, modeling, resources, and education for supporting adolescent prosocial cross-group interaction. These findings are put in conversation with relevant literature, and the article shares practical insights for communities of faith who wish to prioritize, encourage, and support acts of kindness among their teens.Keywords: Adolescent kindnessprosocial behaviorreligious education Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Notes1 All participant names and some narrative details have been changed to protect participant confidentiality.Additional informationNotes on contributorsRobert SkoretzRobert Skoretz is a secondary school Religion teacher at Loma Linda Academy, a private Seventh-day Adventist school. He earned a PhD in Practical Theology from Claremont School of Theology with an emphasis in Religious Education and continues to pursue interests in prosocial behavior, interreligious literacy and dialogue, and religious education. E-mail: http://rskoretz@lla.org.