Study Finds African-Americans' and Latinos' Church Involvement Positively Impacts Relationships

A newly released book by researchers and sociologists W. Bradford Wilcox and Nicholas Wolfinger reveals that the relationship quality of African-Americans and Latinos is improved when couples attend church.

In the book, titled Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love, and Marriage Among African Americans and Latinos, Wilcox and Wolfinger present research that when African-American and Latino couples attend church together it results in better relationships and happier family life.

"One big reason so many families of colour are thriving is that they tend to be more religious than the average American," said Wilcox. "Our book shows that churches are achieving an important measure of success in fostering lower rates of non-marital childbearing, more marriage, and happier relationships among blacks and Latinos."

Wilcox and Wolfinger conducted a study and found that 56 percent of African-Americans and 68 percent of Latinos believe it is better to be married than to be single, which makes it clear that these groups place high importance on family and relationships.

Additionally, Wilcox and Wolfinger found that 80 percent of Latinos and 78 percent of African-Americans reported being happy in their relationship when both partners attend church.

Because of these findings, the researchers concluded that "shared faith supplies moral, social and spiritual solidarity and that religion seems especially important in turning men's hearts and minds toward their wives or partners."

Publication date: January 22, 2016