RESEARCH: Sanctification of Parenting: Links to Corporal Punishment and Parental Warmth Among Biblically Conservative and Liberal Mothers

Abstract

A growing body of research has examined links between religious beliefs and parenting practices. This study used the theoretical construct of sanctification to examine the degree to which parenting holds spiritual significance and meaning for parents and whether sanctification is related to parenting behaviors. Seventy—four mothers completed questionnaires measuring sanctification of the parenting role, a biblical conservatism scale, and measures of parenting practices. Greater sanctification of parenting was associated with less use of verbal aggression and, to some extent, increased parental consistency. Biblical conservatism moderated the link between sanctification and (a) use of corporal punishment and (b) positive parent—child interactions. Specifically, greater sanctification of parenting was tied to decreased corporal punishment by mothers with liberal biblical beliefs but related to more use of corporal punishment among conservative mothers; greater sanctification was tied to increased positive mother—child interactions by mothers with conservative biblical views but did not alter the uniformly high rates of positivity reported by liberal mothers. Findings are integrated with theoretical work on sanctification and existing empirical research on religion and parenting.

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