The current study explored a sub-sample of 57 narrative focused on childhood religious experiences from the Oklahoma Oral History Project. Analyses identified three primary themes connected to childhood religiosity, including transmission, accessibility, and socializing. First, transmission of religiosity during childhood dependent upon a parent or grandparent. A second theme involved accessibility, which highlighted various advantages and disadvantages regarding child and family ability to attend religious services. Such opportunities and barriers were centered upon three subthemes involving rurality, transportation, and infrastructure. Finally, socializing represented a third theme. In particular, church attendance during childhood created unique opportunities for early-life socializing with family, friends, and neighbors. As a whole, key themes indicate that religiosity during childhood may be vital to the early formation of social opportunities and connections that may support positive and adaptive developmental processes in human longevity. Findings have implications relative to advancing conceptual understanding of the impact of childhood religious experience on developmental outcomes among long-lived adults.

当前的研究探索了来自俄克拉荷马州口述历史项目的 57 个关于童年宗教经历的叙述的子样本。分析确定了与儿童宗教信仰相关的三个主要主题，包括传播、可及性和社交。首先，童年时期宗教信仰的传播依赖于父母或祖父母。第二个主题涉及可及性，它强调了儿童和家庭参加宗教服务能力的各种优势和劣势。这些机会和障碍集中在三个子主题上，涉及农村、交通和基础设施。最后，社交代表了第三个主题。特别是，童年时期的教堂出席为早年与家人、朋友和邻居的社交创造了独特的机会。总的来说，关键主题表明，童年时期的宗教信仰对于社会机会和联系的早期形成至关重要，这些机会和联系可能支持人类长寿的积极和适应性发展过程。研究结果对于推进对儿童宗教经历对长寿成年人发展结果影响的概念性理解具有影响。