Feature Article
Covenant Marriage: What Is It and Does It Work?
Kim Leon, Ph.D., Former Human Development and Family Studies, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri Extension
Recently, covenant marriage has become a hot topic of
debate. Three states (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Arizona)
have adopted covenant marriage laws and 20 other states
have considered adding covenant marriage laws. Covenant
marriage is an alternative to traditional marriage. It
requires that spouses take an oath making a lifelong
commitment to marriage and that they get premarital
counseling. Divorce is only allowed in limited
circumstances, such as abuse, adultery, addiction, and
felony imprisonment. Spouses must be separated for a
specified period of time (e.g. two years in Louisiana)
and go to marital counseling before a divorce will be
granted. Currently, Missouri does not have covenant
marriage. During the 2002 legislative session, both the
Missouri Senate and the Missouri House of
Representatives introduced bills to establish covenant
marriage in Missouri, but neither of these bills was
passed.
With covenant marriage receiving increasing attention by politicians
and the media, the question of public opinion about
covenant marriage has arisen. In a recent study,
researchers polled people living in two states that do
have covenant marriage (Louisiana and Arizona) and one
state that does not have covenant marriage (Minnesota)
about their attitudes toward covenant marriage. This
study found that 39% of the adults surveyed were
strongly supportive of covenant marriage, 47% had mixed
views, and 14% were strongly opposed to covenant
marriage. Adults who were more religiously active and
had more traditional views about gender roles (e.g. the
husband should be the breadwinner and the wife should
take care of the home and family) were more likely to
support covenant marriage.
People were also asked about their attitudes toward specific aspects of
covenant marriage (premarital counseling, agreeing in
advance to seek counseling if there are problems in the
marriage, and long waiting periods for divorce). Most
adults (80%) said that premarital education is
important. Most adults (91%) also supported the idea of
agreeing in advance to get marital counseling if
problems arise. Fewer adults (66%) agreed with long
waiting periods for divorce.
Researchers and other professionals who work with families are divided
on the issue of covenant marriage. The primary argument
for covenant marriage is that it may lower the divorce
rate and result in stronger, happier marriages. Couples
may be better prepared for marriage by being required to
participate in premarital counseling. Proponents of
covenant marriage also argue that the requirements of a
long waiting period and marital counseling in order to
get a divorce may increase couples' chances of working
out their problems and staying married. A study of
married individuals found that 60% of those who were
"very unhappy" in the late 1980's, but did not divorce,
reported 5 years later that their marriage was "quite
happy" or "very happy." Finally, supporters of covenant
marriage argue that the symbolism of a "covenant" and
the requirements that go along with covenant marriage
will cause couples to take marriage more seriously and
be more committed to making their marriage last.
Several arguments have been made against covenant marriage by both
conservative and liberal opponents. Conservative
opponents of covenant marriage are concerned that
adoption of covenant marriage will stigmatize or weaken
traditional marriage. Traditional marriage may be taken
less seriously than covenant marriage. Critics of
covenant marriage also argue that changing marriage laws
opens the door for other challenges to marriage laws
(e.g. who can legally get married). Liberal opponents of
covenant marriage argue that couples may face social
pressure or pressure from members of the clergy to sign
covenant marriage agreements. In addition, the
restrictions on divorce could lead to nasty court
battles when one spouse wants a divorce and the other
does not. The limited circumstances in which divorce is
allowed could also lead spouses to engage in activities,
such as adultery, in order to get a divorce. Finally,
the waiting period and marital counseling required for
getting a divorce may make it difficult for women to
leave abusive relationships and increase their chances
of being harmed by their spouse.
One issue that must be considered in deciding whether to enact covenant marriage laws, is whether covenant marriage will be effective in reducing divorce rates or improving marriages. Currently there is no information on whether covenant marriage prevents divorce because it is such a recent change and, so far, few people have chosen covenant marriage. Covenant marriage has only been adopted by three states (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Arizona). Louisiana was the first state to adopt covenant marriage in 1997, and fewer than 5% of marriages in Louisiana are covenant marriages.
Although there is no research on the
effectiveness of covenant marriage laws, there is
research on the effectiveness of marriage
education/counseling, which is one of the major
requirements of covenant marriages laws. The results of
studies that have examined whether marriage education
reduces the divorce rate or improves marriages have been
mixed. One study found that there were no differences in
marital quality between individuals who had attended
premarital education classes and those who had not. In
contrast, a nationwide survey found that adults who had
participated in premarital counseling were less likely
than those who had not participated to have thought
about divorce. Also, several studies have found that
couples who have participated in the PREP program
(Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program), which
is a widely used marriage education program, have more
positive communication and marital satisfaction than
couples who have not taken PREP. Couples who have taken
PREP are also less likely to divorce than are couples
who have not taken PREP, for up to 5 years after the
program. However, we don't know whether marriage
education actually causes couples to have better
marriages or whether it is couples with better marriages
who are more likely to participate in marriage
education. Although it is not clear whether marriage
education actually causes lower divorce rates or higher
marital quality, it is evident that adults who
participate in premarital education are very satisfied
with the experience. In fact, one study found that 90%
of couples who had taken premarital education classes
said they would choose to do it again.
In summary, covenant marriage has both pros and cons and nearly half of
the adults surveyed have mixed feelings about this
option. Although there is currently no evidence on the
effectiveness of covenant marriage, there is some
support for the effectiveness of marriage education, and
most adults are in favor of marital counseling/education
both prior to and during marriage.
References:
Hawkins, A.J., Nock, S.L., Wilson, J.C., Sanchez, L., &
Wright, J.D. (2002). Attitudes about covenant marriage
and divorce: Policy implications from a three-state
comparison. Family Relations, 51, 166-175.
Missouri Bar. Marriage. http://www.mobar.org/.
Stanley, S.M. (2001). Making a case for premarital education. Family Relations, 50, 272-280.
Last Updated 05/12/2009
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