Courtney Ann Irby, "Guiding God's Marriage: Faith and Social Change in Premarital Counseling" (NYU Press, 2024)

Sep 27, 2024

Courtney Ann Irby, an author and researcher at the intersection of faith and marriage preparation, delves into the intricacies of premarital counseling in Christian communities. She discusses how religious institutions have adapted to the evolving landscape of marriage, highlighting the balance between individualism and community. Irby contrasts the approaches of Catholic and evangelical Protestant groups, emphasizing their unique impacts on couples. The conversation also explores the emotional complexities of marriage and the influence of financial values on relationships.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Navigating Premarital Counseling in Religious Contexts

01:49 • 11min

Covenant Rhetoric: Marriage, Faith, and Cultural Shifts

13:11 • 4min

Contrasting Paths of Marriage Preparation

17:23 • 18min

Navigating Marriage: Emotions and Expectations

34:58 • 23min

Exploring the Intersection of Religion, Family, and Financial Values

57:43 • 2min

It is well-known that the institution of marriage has changed dramatically in the past few decades. However, very little research has focused on the role of religious institutions in helping couples form and maintain their relationships.

Guiding God's Marriage: Faith and Social Change in Premarital Counseling (NYU Press, 2024) by Dr. Courtney Irby offers an examination of Christian marriage preparation programs, exploring their efforts to stabilise the institution of marriage and highlighting the tension between individualism and community in people’s relational lives. Marriage preparation programs offer a useful lens through which to trace shifts in both religious and family institutions because they set out clear and intentional articulations of marriage ideologies and gendered relationship scripts by faith communities. By documenting the changes in content and practices of Christian premarital education along with its advice regarding what makes a good marriage, the book charts the ways that religious communities have been transformed by and have helped to contribute to the individualization of faith and relationships.

Featuring archival research as well as first hand observations of four marriage preparation courses—two Protestant and two Catholic—along with seventy interviews with participating couples and leaders of these and other programs, the book offers a rare view of visions about how to realise a successful and faith-filled relationship. This examination of marriage classes offers key insight into how religious communities have responded to cultural changes in marriage, gender, sexuality, and intimacy.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.

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