Why Doesn’t My Child Believe As I Do?
-Generations in Sunni Muslim Families, the Digital Age
and the Transmission of Faith-
This study examines the transformation of intergenerational religious
transmission in Sunni Muslim families through the intersecting contexts
of family, youth, and digital culture. Rather than reducing young
people’s relationship with religion to a belief–unbelief dichotomy, the
book argues that belief in God, religious identity, ritual practice, institutional
trust, and attitudes toward religious authority may diverge from
one another. Methodologically, the study combines long-term observations
derived from the author’s everyday and commercial encounters,
public expressions in digital environments, conceptual tools from the
sociology of religion, and findings from published quantitative and qualitative
research. It does not claim to be an independent or representative
field study; instead, it treats observation, sociological interpretation,
and empirical research as distinct levels of evidence. The book
discusses how Google, YouTube, TikTok, and artificial intelligence reshape
access to religious knowledge, pluralize authority, and influence
individual biographies of faith. It also addresses questions concerning
science, evolution, evil, justice, gender, sexuality, worship, and institutional
trust. Its central conclusion is that religious transmission has not
disappeared but has shifted from a largely inherited, one-directional
model toward a negotiated process of comparison, selection, and reinterpretation.
Accordingly, the book emphasizes preserving trust, mutual
respect, and family dialogue rather than attempting to eliminate
religious difference through pressure or persuasion.
Keywords: Faith Transmission; İntergenerational Religion; Sunni Muslim
Family; Digital Religion; Religious Authority