Keywords
interfaith marriage, parenting, religion, family processes, contextual influences
Abstract
Interfaith marriages are increasingly common, yet research on their family dynamics and sources of influence in family functioning remains limited. Relatedly, although research highlights religion’s influence on family processes, most studies only include same-faith couples. Subsequently, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 32 happily married interfaith couples, examining their sources of guidance in marriage and parenting, reasons for rejecting influences, and the role of religion in their family functioning. We identified one theme of rejecting outside influence and five key themes/sources of influence: one another/themselves, family, friends, media/professionals, and spiritual sources. Findings emphasize similarities between interfaith couples and American families more broadly, highlighting their agency in selecting sources of influence. Using the relational spirituality framework, we discuss religious sources. Clinical implications and future research are discussed.
Original Publication Citation
Stanford, W. D., Hendricks, J. J., Futris, T. G., Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2025). Sources of influence in marriage and parenting for interfaith couples. Marriage and Family Review. 61, 373-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2025.2467914
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Stanford, William D.; Hendricks, Justin J.; Futris, Ted G.; Marks, Loren D.; and Dollahite, David C., "Sources of Influence in Marriage and Parenting for Interfaith Couples" (2025). Faculty Publications. 7933.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/7933
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
Marriage & Family Review
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Family Life
Copyright Status
© 2025 The author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis group, LLC. This is an Open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
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