01809nas a2200217   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002653001000043653001200053653002300065653002300088653002800111653001900139653001200158653001100170100002500181700002700206245012400233490000700357520122700364                                       d10aSpain10aatheism10areligious identity10areligious practice10areligious socialization10asecularization10aSurveys10atrends1 aG. Herranz-de-Rafael1 aJ.S. Fernández-Prados00aReligious Beliefs and Socialization: An Empirical Study on the Transformation of Religiosity in Spain from 1998 to 20180 v153 aThis empirical study investigates the transformation of religiosity in Spain over the two decades from 1998 to 2018, with a focus on social changes in belief, religiosity, and religious controversies, as well as the evolution of religious socialization. By incorporating the concepts of religious socialization and religious controversy into the theoretical framework, the study analyzes data from three waves of surveys on religious topics conducted in Spain during this period. The descriptive findings reveal a clear trend towards a decline in religious belief, religiosity, and practice, coupled with a significant rise in atheistic and non-religious attitudes. Moreover, the explanatory analysis indicates a reduction in the impact of primary religious socialization during childhood, while sociodemographic variables such as age and ideology have either maintained or increased their influence in shaping religious or non-religious positions. The study identifies religious polarization, driven by a marked increase in atheism and non-religion, and suggests that intergenerational and ideological shifts are more critical in explaining changes in religious beliefs than traditional religious socialization processes.