Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith (now William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Notre Dame) with Melinda Lundquist Denton (now Assistant Professor, College of Business and Behavioral Science, University of Clemson) is an important study of the spiritual lives of American teenagers. Not surprisingly, Smith and Denton find that teenagers are significantly influenced by the religious choices and practices of their parents and that the vast majority of American teens embrace some form of religious identity. Also not surprising is that fact that the Mormon (Latter Day Saints) church probably does the best job of anyone in influencing the religious beliefs and lifestyle of its teens. [Read more…] about Book Review: Soul Searching