The future of Christian marriage

Regnerus (Univ. of Texas, Austin) continues his studies of sex and family life. Building on his previous volumes Premarital Sex in America (CH, May'11, 48-5405), coauthored with Jeremy Uecker, and especially Cheap Sex (CH, Jan'18, 55-1949), he asks whether committed Christians are much different than their neighbors in their approach to sex and marriage. The short answer is "no." For this substantial study, Regnerus and collaborators abroad interviewed evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, and Pentecostal Christians in the US, Mexico, Spain, Poland, Russia, Lebanon, and Nigeria. They talked to nearly 200 young adults, an even mix of mostly middle-class men and women in each country. These groups did want to marry, especially before raising children, however they were just as likely as their non-religious neighbors to regard marriage as the "capstone" of a successful preparation for adult life, rather than as the "foundation" for a life built together. Practicing Christians were about as likely to delay marriage, and thus reduce fertility, as most people in their countries. Regnerus offers some policy suggestions to encourage marriage, though he admits that there is not much that government can do to change the social drift away from marriage and parenthood. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Beau Weston, Centre College

Sociologist Regnerus (Cheap Sex) sets out in this instructive work to investigate how the worldwide trend of declining marriage rates affects the Christian faith. He offers a brief history of biblical marriage and unpacks the ways marriage is sometimes viewed as a religious union and sometimes as a civil one. In researching attitudes about marriage, Regnerus interviewed 190 young adults (all practicing Christians) from seven countries. From these, he gleaned insights into how marriage has become a capstone--making the commitment after one puts all of one's ducks in a row--rather than the foundation from which two people build a life together. He attributes this change to shifting societal and economic pressures: "Marriage is morphing away from being a populist institution... to becoming an elite, voluntary, consumption-oriented, and oft-temporary arrangement." That shift, along with the rise of noncommittal sex, cohabitation, social media, and fear of commitment, he argues, has led to the dramatic decrease in marriage rates. In his conclusion, Regnerus, who calls himself "a fan of marriage," provides his own marriage tips for Christians, such as finding "marriage-friendly subcultures" and making one's home a "haven." Regnerus's thorough work will make Christians rethink what marriage means and why marriage matters. (Sept.)