Divorce Decision-Making and the Divine

Abstract

ABSTRACTResearch on the role that religion and spirituality play in divorce is fairly limited and what has been published deals mostly with postdivorce adjustment. Very little research examines the role religion and spirituality play in the actual decision to divorce or stay married. We report the results of a content analysis of 30 qualitative interviews specifically focused on the intersection of religion, spirituality, and the divine and the role these play in the process of deciding whether or not to divorce. Almost half of those interviewed mentioned, without prompting, the role of spirituality in their divorce decision-making process. Themes identified across transcripts included (a) staying married is “morally right,” (b) the dilemma of religious beliefs, (c) heavily influenced by religious social network, and (d) religious practices inform the decision-making process.