"For many, the experience of religion and the family is organically connected: Exposure to religion often comes through the family, and, in families that practice religion, it often has a shaping effect on their traditions, roles, practices, or structure. Religion and Family Links captures the important relationship, between religion and the family with a review of relevant literature on the subject, synthesizing it within a theoretical framework. The work begins with an introduction to the neofunctionalist theoretical framework of the family, which is then connected to a multidimensional understanding of religion. With a focus on systems and a holistic interpretation of religion, the author uses a systems approach to construct a synthesis of the salient literature on the link between religion and the family." "Five systems that are embedded in the neofunctionalist theoretical framework are presented the chronosystem (including time and history), the organic system (that which is part of our biology), the personality system (with an accent on the individual in social context), the social system (everything to do with relationships and social organizations), and the cultural system (including mythology and ethos). These systems are unified by common religious concepts, including: the idea of the sacred, religious experience, ritual, ethos and sacred organizations. The author uses historical and modern examples from folk-religion, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, creating a comprehensive resource tor understanding the links between these two important social phenomena." "Another feature of the text is that it is not restricted to the modern era. Because much of the research is historical, the reader is provided a perspective in order to understand the links of the two social phenomena in light of the past. Further, whenever appropriate, literature is drawn from folk religion, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam."--Jacket.