American Families of Faith

In this episode, we share some of our expereinces when attending religious services of various faiths. We discuss what we appreciated, enjoyed, and learned from those experiences. We have come to expect that when we go and participate in another faith's worship, the experience is well worth it and are always glad to have gone.

If you’d like more insight into how religious families draw on their spiritual beliefs to strengthen their marital relationships and parenting, check out our public scholarship articles at Public Square Magazine.

"I grew up as an actively involved member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oregon, land of the religious “Nones.” In my circle of high school friends, almost none were church people of any stripe, with the exception of a cute girl I dated until her pastor delivered a scathing and apparently convincing sermon on the “evils of Mormonism” that irreparably divided us. As I learned at a tender age, sometimes religion unites, sometimes it divides. 

"Yet I also learned that vital religious and life lessons can come from widely varied sources."

Loren Marks reads the article, "Learning to Be a Good “Latter-day Saint Boy” from Friends of Other Faiths" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on February 24, 2022.

Dr. David Dollahite, co-director of the American Families of Faith project, reflects on his deep respect and "holy envy" for Mainline Protestant families in the United States. Many of these families repeatedly discussed their belief that "God is love." Loving God and neighbor are two core religious beliefs and values for them, which they often live out in inspiring and pragmatic ways.

This podcast features conversations about faith and family life between the co-directors of the American Families of Faith project (http://AmericanFamiliesofFaith.byu.edu), Dr. David Dollahite and Dr. Loren Marks. This podcast is edited, syndicated, and marketed by Laura McKeighen, the Outreach Director for the American Families of Faith project.

If you’d like more insight into how religious families draw on their spiritual beliefs to strengthen their marital relationships and parenting, check out our public scholarship articles at Public Square Magazine.

"In this essay, I share a few experiences my family and I have enjoyed with our Jewish friends in their worship services and holy days in California and in New England. Although these stories are spread across my life, several experiences occurred during visits to synagogues as part of  research I conducted on families of various faiths (including 30 Jewish families) for the American Families of Faith project. I begin with my longest and closest relationship with a beloved Jewish person–Ann Scinski."

David Dollahite reads the article, "Sacred Experiences with Jewish Friends" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on March 14, 2022.

"In my 50 years as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have known and loved persons from a variety of faiths who have influenced my life for good. I have even confessed that during my youth in Oregon, thanks to a wealth of diverse friends, I may have learned more about being a “good Latter-day Saint boy” from those outside of my faith than from those inside my faith.

"Each person we meet has something to teach us. Even occasionally mean-spirited treatment from another person can nurture our own conviction to be kind. It has been my experience that every soul I have taken the time to truly know and love has at least one gift, a unique capacity, a beautiful or delightful aspect of their being that elicits an admiration—a desire for more of “their gift” in my own life." 

Loren Marks reads the article, "'Thank You, I’d Be Honored': Worshipping with Friends of Other Faiths" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on January 21, 2022.

"In this essay, I will share some experiences from attending religious services of various faiths and what we learned from those experiences. I focus on worship services and celebrations and what I enjoyed and appreciated most about sharing sacred moments of community with others across a range of world faiths and denominations. I express my appreciation and admiration for the wonderful people of God who welcomed me to their sacred services and thus their sacred ground."

David Dollahite reads the article, "Attending Religious Services of Other Faiths" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on February 3, 2022.

"In 1985, Krister Stendahl, then Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm, stepped to the microphone at a potentially volatile press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, and “offered support for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building a temple there, against which there was growing opposition.” In that watershed moment, when many of his own countrymen and parishioners were angry at the prospect of an “American” church planting their temple on Swedish soil, the wise and gentle Stendahl stood alone and not only called for tolerance, but expressed his own respect for some aspects of Latter-day Saint doctrine and practice and further urged all to leave room for “holy envy” and the honoring of beautiful elements in faith traditions other than their own.

"We concur with Stendahl, later Dean of Harvard Divinity School, that if we follow the better angels of our nature, we will seek ways to honor the best elements of other religions—indeed, that we will look with such depth and consideration that we will develop a little holy envy. We are also convinced that given the cultural climate in which we find ourselves in 2021, it has never been more important to seek to climb over what sociologist Arlie Hochschild (2016) has called “the empathy wall,” the wall that serves as a barrier to empathy for others."

Loren Marks reads the article, "What is Holy Envy and Can It Heal Our World?" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on December 3, 2021.

"We are professors of family life at BYU and co-directors of the American Families of Faith project. In this article, consistent with articles on the other seven religious-ethnic communities, we share a few quotes drawn from those whom we interviewed. In this essay the quotes center on the eternal nature of life, marriage, and families from persons from our own faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka The Church of Jesus Christ, LDS, Mormon).

"In this essay we turn to our own faith, not to brag but to share a pronounced strength of this faith (to which Dave converted at age 19 and in which Loren was raised). After we share brief narratives from members of some of the 28 LDS families we have interviewed, we will discuss the idea of holy envy, share some thoughts on LDS family life from some respected scholars from various disciplines who are not LDS, and conclude with a few thoughts about the things that we personally find most meaningful about our own faith."

David Dollahite reads the article, "Latter-day Saint Families: Eternal Perspectives" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on October 11, 2021.

"A few years before 9-11, a leading religion researcher, the late David Larson referred to religion as “the anti-tenure topic”—the fast track out of a respectable academic job. Despite that danger, we began our work in this area.  Overnight, however, fire began to rage and hate crimes against Muslims subsequently increased 1600% from pre-9/11 levels. Rarely, had modern America been further from “Peace, Love, and Understanding.” In the midst of polemics and emotion, careful and moderate scholarship was desperately needed to facilitate authentic tolerance and respect across religious bodies.

"The purpose of this article is to briefly explore how religious beliefs and practices influence family relationships among highly religious Muslims. Our intent is to share their own reports, in their own voices. Our aim is to not only provide information but to foster authentic understanding and respect."

Loren Marks reads the article, "Muslim Families: A Closer Look at Answering to Allah" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on November 5, 2021.

"According to a 2018 Gallup Poll, about 40% of Americans self-identify as Evangelical or “born again” Christians. American Evangelical Christians generally report that one primary conviction of their faith is a strong belief in the Bible—the Protestant roots of sola scriptura, scriptura sola (“only scripture and scripture alone”). The other deep faith commitment is the striving for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In this article, we explore how these specific aspects of faith among Evangelical Christians reportedly influence their family life and family interactions. "

David Dollahite reads the article, "Evangelical Christian Families – God Wants Us . . . To Be Strong" which was originally published in Public Square Magazine on November 19, 2021.