Currently, there is a lack of research into educational methods which may help religious youth to develop or maintain religious identities. The aim of this case study was to use and evaluate a social justice program, JusticeWalking, within a parish setting to see if that program increases religious participation and religious identity among adolescents. Six high-school age participants from one large, Catholic parish in western Michigan participated in the program. This study used qualitative methods to ascertain any impacts of the program, including discourse analysis of written responses and in-depth interviews. Responses seemed to indicate that participants developed stronger Catholic identity, had greater participation in church events and services, and had an increased understanding and application of social justice. Implications of this study include new teaching and retention methods for the Catholic Church as well as developing a greater body of research on religious identity development.

目前，缺乏对可能帮助宗教青年发展或保持宗教身份的教育方法的研究。本案例研究的目的是使用和评估社会正义计划，正义在教区环境中散步，看看该计划是否会增加青少年的宗教参与和宗教认同。来自密歇根州西部一个大型天主教教区的六名高中年龄参与者参加了该计划。本研究使用定性方法来确定该计划的任何影响，包括对书面回复和深入访谈的话语分析。回应似乎表明参与者发展出更强的天主教身份，更多地参与教会活动和服务，并且对社会正义有更多的理解和应用。这项研究的意义包括为天主教会提供新的教学和保留方法，以及开发更多关于宗教身份发展的研究。