Abstract
Despite research on religion and marriage, little is known about the role of religion in the relationships of nonmarried couples. This study addresses two questions: (a) Do various dimensions of religious involvement—shared religious beliefs, affiliation and attendance, and theistic sanctification—influence the relationship satisfaction and marital expectations of dating and cohabiting individuals? (b) Is the association mediated by positive and negative relationship behaviors by the respondent and/or partner? We investigate these questions using the National Survey of Religion and Family Life, a nationwide sample of working-age adults, aged 18 to 59 years ( n = 468) with oversamples of African Americans and Latinos. Various dimensions of religious involvement are positively associated with the relationship satisfaction and expectations to marry among nonmarried individuals. Positive and negative relationship behaviors slightly diminish the link between religion and (a) relationship satisfaction and (b) expectations of marriage. Several implications and promising directions for future research are discussed.
Published Version
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