Covenant Marriage as a Signal: Religion and Commitment in Modern America,” Center for Demography and Family Research, Working Paper Number

This paper uses economic signaling theory and religious studies about the pursuit of the sacred to explore the unique meanings covenant married couples attribute to their marriages, as compared to standard married couples. We use quantitative data from a three-wave panel study of newlywed couples and qualitative face-to-face interviews with a sub-set to explore the multidimensionality of religious experiences during the newlywed years. Covenant married couples are far more religious on all dimensions than are standard married couples. They are likely to be evangelical Protestants and fundamentalists who tend to sanctify marriage and demonize divorce. Covenant marriage serves as a potent signal of their personal commitment to God and marriage and their sense of public responsibility to set an example of the sanctity of marriage. The implications are that research on marriage, religion, and social change should incorporate how individuals perceive the public meaning of their intimate relationships