Most families of faith must deal with at least two relational issues and three religious issues.

Relational Quality. While some families enjoy very high levels of relational cohesion, respect, love, and/or care, others struggle with high levels of conflict, dysfunction, and/or distance.

Relational Stability. While some families enjoy great relational stability, others struggle to establish and maintain lasting relationships.

Research shows that religious belief and involvement can improve both relational quality and stability although this research does not provide many specifics about the “whys” (meanings) and “hows” (processes) involved. In any faith community, some families enjoy mainly positive connections between their faith and family life while others experience various challenges. We address this by seeking to discover processes at the nexus of religion and relationships that promote relational quality and stability.