From Participation to Internalization through Mosque-Based Youth Engagement and Religious Character Formation

Abstract

This study synthesizes forms of mosque-based youth engagement, mechanisms of religious value internalization, and evidence concerning religious character formation. An integrative literature review was conducted using iterative, topic-guided literature identification, critical evidence appraisal, and deductive–inductive thematic synthesis of 23 selected empirical studies. A previous literature review was used for comparison, not as additional empirical evidence. Four themes emerged: participation extending from attendance to youth agency; educational mechanisms involving peer influence, mentoring, role modeling, habituation, and reflection; institutional conditions enabling or restricting engagement; and character-related outcomes alongside limitations of existing evidence. Meaningful participation provides opportunities for young people to practice responsibility, leadership, and social concern. However, most mosque-based studies primarily document program implementation, participant experiences, or perceived benefits. Stronger longitudinal and comparative evidence concerning religious development generally comes from educational settings outside mosque youth organizations. The synthesis therefore does not establish that participation automatically produces sustained character change. Instead, it proposes an evidence-informed conceptual framework connecting institutional conditions, meaningful engagement, pedagogical mechanisms, and religious character-related outcomes while recognizing contextual variation and limitations of causal inference. Future research should employ longitudinal and comparative designs with clearly defined, observable measures of enduring behavioral development.