Faith is a Crucial "Family-Friendly Force" for Minorities in the US

Julie Brown Patton : Jan 20, 2016
The Gospel Herald

"One big reason so many families of color are thriving is that they tend to be more religious than the average American." -W. Bradford Wilcox

(Washington, DC)—Faith can furnish a beneficial, sturdy path related to challenges specifically faced by African-American and Latino minorities, claim the authors of a new book entitled "Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love, and Marriage Among African Americans and Latinos." The book reflects what the authors believe to be the first study of religion and family life among blacks and Latinos. (Photo via Gospel Herald)

University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox collaborated with Nicholas Wolfinger of the University of Utah for the study and found that African-American and Latino couples who attend church together experience happier relationships and family life, reports NBC 29.

"By 2050, a majority of Americans will be minorities. Yet scholars know little about faith and family life among non-white Americans," said Wilcox.

Religion doesn't offer a magic pill for successful living, but church participation is clearly associated with positive outcomes in relationships and family life, Wilcox and Wolfinger found. They stated this bears out even in the midst of lower marriage rates and higher cohabiting rates among all races.

The two authors pursued the central question: "Is religion achieving success in creating the conditions where relationships, marriages and families can flourish in black and Latino communities?"

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