Reckoning With Religion in Award-Winning Young Adult Literature From 2012 to 2021

• In Event: Reading Religiously: Representation of Religious Identities and Literacies in Literature

Abstract

This study aims to support religious literacy in ELA contexts by examining how 91 award-winning YA novels engaged religious subject matter. Passages dealing with religions were coded for the religious tradition discussed, the treatment of that religion and their frequencies throughout the novel. Fifty-two percent treated religion seriously, and 41% did so multiple times throughout the novel. Christianity was the most common religious tradition discussed. Although a few novels engaged Islam (5%) and Judaism (3%), lesser known spiritual traditions were more prominent than non-Christian major religions. Additionally, we examined how religion was affirmed, contextualized and/or problematized throughout the dataset. We provide examples of each of these, along with implications for the field.

Authors

• Christopher A. Olshefski, Winchester Thurston School
  Presenting Author

• Heidi L. Hadley, Missouri State University
  Presenting Author

• Kate Soules, Religion & Education Collaborative
  Presenting Author