How Religious Couples Perceive the Influence of God in Their Marriage

Keywords

marriage, God, religion, Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Abstract

This article builds on the work of Annette Mahoney and her colleagues regarding "sanctification of marriage" by focusing on religious married couples' perception of God's involvement in their marriages. The study includes qualitative analyses of indepth interviews with 32 middle-aged Christian, Jewish and Muslim couples married an average of twenty years. Couples' views of God's purposes influenced the pathways and processes of perceived divine involvement in their marriages. The extent and pathways in which couples perceived God to be involved in their marriage correlated with specific beliefs and practices. Several patterns emerge and a theoretical model is proposed to illustrate the pathways of perceived involvement and outcomes.

Original Publication Citation

Goodman, M. A., & Dollahite, D. C. (2006). How religious couples perceive the influence of God in their marriage. Review of Religious Research, 48, 141-155.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2006-12

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7781

Publisher

Review of Religious Research

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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