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Unequally Yoked? Religion and Spirituality in Couples in Which One Believes in God and the Other Does Not

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Abstract

This qualitative study examined religion and spirituality among couples in which one person (a Catholic) believed in God and the other (e.g., an atheist, an agnostic) did not. Specifically, this study explored how the relationship impacted each individual’s beliefs about the existence of God and the extent to which the couples incorporated religious or spiritual elements into their relationship. Some of the nonbelievers became more open to the possibility of God’s existence, whereas others remained unchanged. Some believers reported that their faith was actually strengthened through the relationship. Couples incorporated religious elements into their relationship (e.g., having a religious wedding, attending church together) to varying degrees. A typology of the couples based on spiritual engagement and the nonbeliever’s openness to God emerged from the findings. Pastoral or clinical implications for working with such couples are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego (California), San Diego, CA, USA

    Lee M. Williams

  2. School of Leadership and Education Sciences, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA, 92110-2492, USA

    Lee M. Williams

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  1. Lee M. Williams
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Correspondence to Lee M. Williams.

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The research reported in this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of San Diego.

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Williams, L.M. Unequally Yoked? Religion and Spirituality in Couples in Which One Believes in God and the Other Does Not . Pastoral Psychol 70, 225–238 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00948-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00948-3

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