Religious Belief and Practice: A Potential Asset in Helping Families

Over 200 married adults were selected purposively from the 20 major U.S. religious denominations in two midwestern cities and surveyed via self-report questionnaires as to the influence of religious belief and practice on family satisfaction. The majority of respondents reported that religion was helpful to family life. Assistance was primarily in the form of enhancing the family's social network and by encouraging family members to petition God for help with family problems. Those who reported more social support and divine intervention reported higher levels of family satisfaction. Implications are suggested for use by family professionals.