Faith and religion shape marriages by influencing beliefs, practices, and community connections that help couples build "championship marriages" through shared sacred purpose. Dr. Loren Marks shares insights from the American Families of Faith Project, featuring interviews with 300 exemplary couples from 20+ faith traditions.
• Shared beliefs create a "family vision" that transcends daily conflicts and provides meaning
• Religious practices like family prayer, Shabbat dinners, and observing Ramadan strengthen marital bonds
• Faith communities offer support, mentorship, and "friends of the marriage" who invest in couples' success
• Even spouses from identical religious backgrounds have different spiritual experiences—every marriage is an "interfaith marriage"
• The "divine triangle" concept shows how spouses on individual spiritual journeys converge as they move toward God
• Big C Commitment (commitment "no matter what") versus little c commitment (conditional commitment) makes the difference in lasting marriages
• Great marriages weren't always great—many couples shared they would have "jumped ship" without faith helping them through early struggles
• Religion can harm marriages when it becomes a "time affair" or when applied too rigidly without relational flexibility
Marriage is an invitation to increased holiness, where "you lift me and I'll lift thee, and together we will ascend."
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