Loren D Marks
Biographic Data
| ID | 110696 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Loren D Marks |
| GIVEN NAMES | Loren D |
| FAMILY NAME | Marks |
| SIGNATURE | MARKS L D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brigham Young University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0778-0260 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 98 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 305 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 98 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
“A Godly Man, a Family Man”
How do the frameworks of religion and spirituality influence perceptions of what it means to be a Black man and a family man? This study explores how increases in religiosity and spirituality influence Black masculinity and fatherhood among 33 Black Christian couples (n = 66). Qualitative interviews and analysis examine how religious beliefs and practices may facilitate shifts from independence-centered views of masculinity to family-oriented, sp…
In This Together
The division of labor in mixed-gender couples has been a popular research topic for several decades, including discussions about household labor, childcare, and paid employment. However, few studies have examined these processes as they apply to highly religious couples, whose perspectives on labor division show some evidence of diverging from those who are less devout. To better understand how successful mixed-gender, highly religious couples fr…
Husband as Head
Although religious beliefs often connect with gendered hierarchy in social science research, religion also relates to numerous positive marital outcomes, and very few studies have examined religion and gendered hierarchy within intimate relationships. To bridge this divide, our study used a diverse, exemplar sample to explore how highly religious, heterosexual married couples view and navigate the possibility of gendered hierarchy. Interviews fro…
The Power of Humor in Strong African American Marriages
Increasingly, scholars are growing more familiar with humor as a contributor to well-being and positive psychological out-comes. Humor has long been used as a means of positive psychological coping, hope, and community building, particularly within the African diaspora. Yet, to date, research has largely ignored the familial and relational benefits of humor for African American families. The present study addresses this gap with he in-depth quali…
Introduction to Special Issue
Insights on Self-Perceptions, Coping, and Racism from Wives, Husbands, and Youth in Strong, Religious African American Families
Despite several deleterious systemic stressors, such as racism and financial strain, African Americans have often leaned on religion and resilience to establish strength in their personal and familial lives. Yet, there remains a significant need for more studies on exactly how African American individuals and families have utilized their resources to remain strong. Accordingly, the present study takes an in-depth look at 46 strong African America…
Positive Psychology in Strong Black Marriages
This article employs an intentionally strengths-focused approach by conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with 46 exemplary Black, married couples (N = 92 individuals; 46 wives, 46 husbands) to explore keys to their successful marriage relationships and family lives. This study focuses on two core themes: Growth Mindset – “We’re still learning. ... It’s a lifelong process.” and Elevated Perspectives – “It made me realize what is important.” …
Sources of Influence in Marriage and Parenting for Interfaith Couples
Interfaith marriages are increasingly common, yet research on their family dynamics and sources of influence in family functioning remains limited. Relatedly, although research highlights religion’s influence on family processes, most studies only include same-faith couples. Subsequently, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 32 happily married interfaith couples, examining their sources of guidance in marriage and parenting, reasons for r…
How Serving Others in Families and Faith Communities Strengthens African American Marriages
Existing research rarely notes how acts of service may inform and strengthen African American families. Using a strengths-based approach and a purposive sample of 46 exemplary, marriage-based, African American families, this study examines the processes associated with building relational strength through generosity and service to others. Narrative quotes were analyzed through systematic, team-based thematic coding procedures. Four core themes em…
Talk is (still) cheap
Grounded in family financial socialization theory, the purpose of this study was to better understand parent financial socialization processes and outcomes by including multiple perspectives and by studying these processes and outcomes during adolescence (vs. retrospectively during emerging adulthood). We utilized reports from 1,117 U.S. adolescents and their primary caregiver (1,117; total N = 2,234). Through structural equation modeling, we tes…
How Nonreligious Parents Approach the (Non)Religious Socialization of Their Children
Despite the rapid growth of nonreligious individuals in the United States, limited research has focused on how nonreligious parents approach the (non)religious socialization of their children. We employed a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth interviews with 33 nonreligious couples ( N = 66 parents), through which we identified five themes: (1) parents openly sharing their beliefs, (2) encouraging religious exploration, (3) empha…
Young Children’s Perception of the Covid-19 Home Stay
Lessons From the Field Psychosocial consequences of the Covid ‐19 homestay for preschoolers and their parents
“We have hope”
Integrity and fidelity in highly religious marriages
Securely Ever After
Change in Financial Stress and Relational Wellbeing During Covid-19
Exploring personal and relational motivations and processes of forgiveness in religious families
Why do the devout remain devoted? Exploring religious expectations and relational compensators
Exploring Influences of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Family Communication
In the context of the shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we explored communication processes within families through both qualitative and quantitative means. A panel survey of 1,510 adults (1,059 parents) in the United States was administered during the summer of 2020 (June 18–July 22). Summary quantitative data are presented. Nearly half (N = 624) also chose to respond to five, open-ended, qualitative questions. From these data, diverse…
Family Dinners and Family Relationships following the Initial Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic
In the context of the COVID-19 shutdowns, we explored associations between family dinner and family well-being among 731 adult parents in the United States who currently had at least one child residing in their home. The panel survey was administered during the summer of 2020 (June 18 through July 22). Participants were asked to respond to questions about relational processes before the COVID-19 shutdowns, at the height of the shutdowns, and curr…
Changes in Spiritual Practices and Relational Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Given disruptions to families’ routines and processes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, this article explores associations between changes in the frequency of spiritual practices and relational well-being during COVID-19. Using a survey of 1,510 adults in the United States administered during the summer of 2020, we employed a mixed methods approach. Significant associations were found between the frequency of engaging in spiritual practices and r…
Changes in Home-Centered Religious Practices and Relational Wellbeing following the Initial Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic
We explored associations between changes in the frequency of home-centered religious practices and family relational conflict, emotional closeness, and the perceived long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships. The panel survey of 1,510 adult individuals in the United States, was administered during the summer of 2020. Given our interest in understanding changes in religious practices following the COVID-19 related closures of reli…
Personal and Relational Processes of Repentance in Religious Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Families
Considerable social science research has illuminated religion's profound and predominantly positive impact on individuals and families. Nevertheless, numerous noteworthy aspects of religion, including repentance, have not been explored in-depth from a social science perspective to understand their psychological and relational processes and implications. Further, the emphasis and importance of repentance across the Abrahamic faiths, combined with …
A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Audit of the American Families of Faith Project
Social science and religious studies scholars should endeavor to broaden theories, methods, and samples to be more inclusive. Therefore, we have conducted an "equity audit" of the American Families of Faith (AFF) project. We evaluated the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the AFF project's (a) research team, (b) products, and (c) samples. We then discuss the reasoning behind the decisions that resulted in the existing strengths and limitations …
Why Religion Helps and Harms Families
Evidence suggests that religion can both help and harm families. We posit that a central reason for these divergent outcomes is a system of dualities at the nexus of religion and family. We propose a conceptual framework of a dynamic system of religious and relational dualities. We propose eight dualities: (a) transcendent and mundane spiritual experiences may affect families, (b) families may experience God as a close confidant and an authority …
How Does Religion Influence Marriage? Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim Perspectives
Seventy-six highly religious Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim married mothers and fathers were interviewed regarding how and why three dimensions of religion (i.e., faith community, religious practices, and spiritual beliefs) influence marriage in both beneficial and challenging ways. Through qualitative data analysis the author identified eight emergent themes that link religion and marriage: (1) the influence of clergy, (2) the mixed bless…
Same-sex parenting and children's outcomes
Religion, Relationships, and Responsible Fathering in Latter-Day Saint Families of Children with Special Needs
The issue of responsible and involved fathering has inspired a growing body of scholarship, policy, and interventions. However, religious communities, practices, and beliefs have been overlooked as potential factors in encouraging responsible, involved fathering. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) fathers of children with special needs and analyzed to examine the meaning of religion in relation to respons…
Surmounting the Empathy Wall
In this concluding article of a special issue based on a diverse, national, 198 family (N = 476 persons) qualitative study, the concepts of deep respect and holy envy are posited as research-enhancing strengths in rigorous qualitative inquiry. Both concepts are defined and illustrated as the authors share specific strengths of seven religious-ethnic groups that have elicited their holy envy. The need for deep respect and holy envy in social scien…
Introduction to the Special Issue
We introduce the special issue of Marriage and Family Review on Exploring Strengths among American Families of Faith. The heart of the special issue is a collection of scholarly articles about couples and parents from eight religious–ethnic communities. In addition, there are introductory and concluding essays and an article placing the empirical articles in theoretical context. The sample includes 198 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families (N = …
A Qualitative Exploration of Why Faith Matters in African American Marriages and Families
Researchers have found recurring connections between shared marital religious involvement and improved marital stability functioning. However, researchers know little about the processes at work behind this connection. More specifically, there is a lack of data that addresses these issues in African American families, even though Black families tend to be involved in and influenced by religion. To address this paucity, in-depth, qualitative inter…
Grandparents Across the Ocean
Many contemporary immigrants belong to transnational families-families that maintain significant contact with two or more countries. These families identify with multiple environments and deal with life-cycle changes over extensive geographical space. This paper has two major aims: 1) to better understand how today’s immigrant families facilitate intergenerational relationships across significant distances; and 2) to learn more about the understu…
Beyond Religious Rigidities
Research has found that intergenerational transmission of religiosity results in higher family functioning and improved family relationships. Yet the Pew Research Center found that 44% of Americans reported that they had left the religious affiliation of their childhood. And 78% of the expanding group of those who identify as religiously unaffiliated ("Nones") reported that they were raised in "highly religious families." We suggest that this may…
Faithful Fathering in Trying Times
This paper presents the findings from an exploration of religious beliefs collected from narrative accounts from 16 Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) fathers of children with special needs. Six themes were created to organize the narratives as a result of coding. The first three are not explicitly religious in nature: (1) choosing to care, (2) dealing with today's challenges, and (3) building love through play. The second three themes were explici…
Religion and Relationships in Muslim Families
Since 11 September 2001, Islam has been the center of many debates, discussions, parodies and publications. Many Muslims feel that their religion has been portrayed unfairly in Western media. The topics that seem to generate the most criticism relate to gender roles and the treatment of women, both inside the home and in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived role of Islam on marital and familial relationships from an insi…
Parenting in Immigration
The present study examines the experiences of 50 immigrant mothers and fathers from Eastern European countries raising children in the United States. Qualitative analysis of in-depth personal interviews resulted in three themes related to: (1) issues of discipline and decline of parental authority; (2) opportunities to build a child’s selfesteem and confidence; and (3) a need to balance and integrate two cultures. This study illustrates the proce…
Generative Devotion
Generative devotion is a middle‐range theory grounded in analyses of interviews with religious and nonreligious families that illuminates ways religion can facilitate strong family relations within and across generations. Generative devotion is a way of approaching religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and communities that attends to the long‐term well‐being of family members, is essentially other‐oriented, responds to abiding needs of pers…
Faith, Conversion, and Challenge
Chinese Christians in the United States have experienced unique challenges after their conversion to Christianity. Twenty-two highly religious Chinese Christian couples (N = 44) were interviewed to examine how religious faith influenced their marriage and family life. Questions regarding faith, marriage, family life, and challenges with religious beliefs and practices were asked. Qualitative grounded theory methods were employed to analyze the da…
How Relationship-Enhancing Transcendent Religious Experiences during Adversity Can Encourage Relational Meaning, Depth, Healing, and Action
Research on the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health suggests that religious involvement can help people deal with various kinds of adversity. Although there has been a great deal of work on the influence of religious involvement and religious and spiritual practices on physical, mental, and relational health, there exists a gap in the theoretical and empirical literature about the potential benefits of transcendent religious e…
Positive Youth Religious and Spiritual Development
In this article, we highlight the contributions of the findings from a branch of the American Families of Faith national research project that pertain to positive religious and spiritual development in youth. We present detailed findings from six previous studies on religious youth and their parents from diverse faith communities (various denominations in Christianity, three major branches of Judaism, and two major groups in Islam). We discuss wh…
Veiling in Fear or in Faith? Meanings of the Hijab to Practicing Muslim Wives and Husbands in USA
This article examines the Muslim practice of wearing the hijab—the veiling and covering of a woman’s head and body. More specifically, this study aims to present insiders’ perspectives regarding the personal understandings of the hijab among 20 wives and 20 husbands (n = 40) in religious Shia and Sunni Muslim families living in USA. Qualitative analysis yielded three emergent themes: (1) The hijab as a symbol of religious commitment; (2) the hija…
Exploring Transformational Processes and Meaning in LDS Marriages
For decades, research has shown that religion is correlated with several important aspects of marriage. However, most studies have looked only at distal aspects of a couple's religion, such as church attendance or religious salience, and are therefore hard pressed to explain precisely how religion and marriage correlate. This qualitative study examines the connection Mormon (LDS) couples perceive between their religious faith and their marriage a…
A Qualitative Study of Ramadan
Islam is a major world religion and the Muslim population is one of the fastest growing religious populations in the Western world, including in the United States. However, few research studies have examined the lived religious experience of U.S. Muslim families. Much of the attention on Islam among researchers and the media tends to be on controversial aspects of the religion. The purpose of this paper is to examine the unique religious practice…
Practice Makes Perfect
Most financial socialization research focuses on two methods of learning: modeling and discussion. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore experiential learning as a third potential method of financial socialization used by parents. Specifically, we explored what children learned about finances through experiential learning and why parents used experiential learning as a financial socialization method. We used a multigenerational sa…
Chinese Immigrant Families and Christian Faith Community
Like most other immigrants, C hinese immigrants in the U . S . have experienced challenges in acculturation to the A merican mainstream culture. Major challenges for C hinese immigrants include identity problems, language barriers, relationships problems, and lack of economic and social resources ( F amilies and change: C oping with stressful events and transitions (pp. 307–332). N ew Y ork: S age). With respect to social resources, the C hinese …
Exploring Gender Roles in Highly Religious Families
Background Many world religions explicitly and/or implicitly promote gender hierarchy and the patriarchal nature of gender roles is a nearly universal theme within these traditions. Notwithstanding the hierarchical patterns often apparent in religiously defined gender roles, complementarity in gender roles is also an essential characteristic of many religions. Purpose Religious teachings regarding gender roles may dualistically foster relational …
The Real Book of Mormon Musical
Scholars of religious ritual have noted that inadequate attention has been paid to religious ritual in the social sciences. Based on what has been done, it is apparent that sacred family rituals (when done well and with relational sensitivity) can enhance structure, meaning, and family unity. The present study examines the family-level ritual practice of weekly Family Home Evening among members of 26 Latter-day Saint (LDS) families (N = 58 indivi…
Kept Together by Faith
This study examines how religious beliefs, practices, and faith communities influence marriage and family life strengths in American Catholic and Orthodox Christian families. Qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 families (N = 47 individuals). Qualitative data analysis revealed themes categorized under the domains of general life strengths, marital strengths, and parenting strengths. Findings suggest that for th…
Loving God, Loving Others
Quantitative research suggests a link between religion and increased relationship commitment, satisfaction, and quality in marriages and parenting. Less is known about the processes and meaning-making experiences of religious individuals and families and how or why such processes exist and function with a family context. Using in-depth qualitative interviews, 20 Mainline Protestant families (N = 47 individuals; 20 mothers, 20 fathers, and 7 youth…
Faithful Fathering in Trying Times
This paper presents the findings from an exploration of religious beliefs collected from narrative accounts from 16 Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) fathers of children with special needs. Six themes were created to organize the narratives as a result of coding. The first three are not explicitly religious in nature: (1) choosing to care, (2) dealing with today's challenges, and (3) building love through play. The second three themes were explici…
Religion, Relationships, and Responsible Fathering in Latter-Day Saint Families of Children with Special Needs
The issue of responsible and involved fathering has inspired a growing body of scholarship, policy, and interventions. However, religious communities, practices, and beliefs have been overlooked as potential factors in encouraging responsible, involved fathering. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) fathers of children with special needs and analyzed to examine the meaning of religion in relation to respons…
Families and Religious Beliefs, Practices, and Communities
Religion and Bio-Psycho- Social Health
How Does Religion Influence Marriage? Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim Perspectives
Seventy-six highly religious Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim married mothers and fathers were interviewed regarding how and why three dimensions of religion (i.e., faith community, religious practices, and spiritual beliefs) influence marriage in both beneficial and challenging ways. Through qualitative data analysis the author identified eight emergent themes that link religion and marriage: (1) the influence of clergy, (2) the mixed bless…
Religion and Family Relational Health
“Together, We Are Strong”
Thirty African American married couples ( N = 60 individuals) were interviewed regarding the challenges and benefits of their happy, enduring marriages. Qualitative coding and analysis revealed 4 key themes: (1) Challenges in African American Marriages, (2) Overcoming External Challenges to Marriage, (3) Resolving Intramarital Conflict, and (4) Unity and the Importance of Being “Equally Yoked.” Supporting qualitative data are presented in connect…
Grandparents Across the Ocean
Many contemporary immigrants belong to transnational families-families that maintain significant contact with two or more countries. These families identify with multiple environments and deal with life-cycle changes over extensive geographical space. This paper has two major aims: 1) to better understand how today’s immigrant families facilitate intergenerational relationships across significant distances; and 2) to learn more about the understu…
Immigrant Parents' Concerns Regarding Their Children's Education in the United States
A growing body of research suggests that as immigrant families assimilate into U.S. culture, their children's academic achievements and aspirations decline. This article explores possible reasons for this finding from the perspective of immigrant parents from Eastern European countries whose children attend U.S. schools. In‐depth, qualitative interviews are conducted with 50 married mothers and fathers who hold professional‐status employment. The…
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
We examined health-related quality of life in adults in the Louisiana Health Aging Study (LHAS) after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HK/R) that made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast region in 2005. Analyses of pre- and post-disaster SF-36 scores yielded changes in physical function and bodily pain. Mental health scores were lower for women than men. Gender differences were observed in religious beliefs and religious coping, favoring women. Religious…
Mining the meanings and pulling out the processes from psychology of religion's correlation mountain
The article illustrates how rigorous quantitative studies in three distinct and promising areas opened the door to additional related qualitative work. Using qualitative narratives from a landmark sample of 184 diverse religious families, the authors discuss and illustrate two research methods and that have been useful to them: triangulating data in the context of family, and seeking truth through progressive questioning. Next, consistent with th…
Religion and Coping With Trauma
In this article, we consider the intersection of religious coping and the experience of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in a lifespan sample of adults living in South Louisiana during the 2005 storms. Participants were young, middle-age, older, and oldest-old adults who were interviewed during the post-disaster recovery period. Qualitative analyses confirmed that three dimensions of religion were represented across participants' responses. These dime…
The Compass of Our Life”
Twenty highly religious Chinese Christian married couples (n = 40) were interviewed to examine how religious faith influenced their perceptions of marriage and family life. Most participants held advanced graduate degrees (14 PhD and 13 MS degrees). Their ages ranged from 28 to 66, and the number of children ranged from one to four. Grounded theory methods (including open coding and axial coding) were applied to analyze the data. Based on the int…
Parenting in Immigration
The present study examines the experiences of 50 immigrant mothers and fathers from Eastern European countries raising children in the United States. Qualitative analysis of in-depth personal interviews resulted in three themes related to: (1) issues of discipline and decline of parental authority; (2) opportunities to build a child’s selfesteem and confidence; and (3) a need to balance and integrate two cultures. This study illustrates the proce…
Challenges and Conflicts . . . Strengths and Supports
Most studies of marriage among African Americans have adhered to a problem-oriented perspective. Consequently, relatively little is known about enduring African American marriages. As marriage confers numerous psychosocial and economic benefits, there is merit in studying the characteristics of African American marriages that stand the test of time. Seventy-one married African American couples (mean length of marriage = 32 years) provided informa…
Exploring Transformational Processes and Meaning in LDS Marriages
For decades, research has shown that religion is correlated with several important aspects of marriage. However, most studies have looked only at distal aspects of a couple's religion, such as church attendance or religious salience, and are therefore hard pressed to explain precisely how religion and marriage correlate. This qualitative study examines the connection Mormon (LDS) couples perceive between their religious faith and their marriage a…
We see what we seek”
Chinese Immigrant Families and Christian Faith Community
Like most other immigrants, C hinese immigrants in the U . S . have experienced challenges in acculturation to the A merican mainstream culture. Major challenges for C hinese immigrants include identity problems, language barriers, relationships problems, and lack of economic and social resources ( F amilies and change: C oping with stressful events and transitions (pp. 307–332). N ew Y ork: S age). With respect to social resources, the C hinese …
A Qualitative Exploration of Why Faith Matters in African American Marriages and Families
Researchers have found recurring connections between shared marital religious involvement and improved marital stability functioning. However, researchers know little about the processes at work behind this connection. More specifically, there is a lack of data that addresses these issues in African American families, even though Black families tend to be involved in and influenced by religion. To address this paucity, in-depth, qualitative inter…
Same-sex parenting and children's outcomes
Perceptions of Longevity and Successful Aging in Very Old Adults
We 1. The Louisiana Healthy Aging Study Personnel: Meghan B. Allen, BS; Gloria Anderson, BS; Iina E. Antikainen, BS; Arturo M. Arce, MD; Jennifer Arceneaux, RN; Mark A. Batzer, PhD; Emily O. Boudreaux, MA; Lauri Byerley, PhD; Pauline A. Callinan, PhD; Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RD; Jian Chen, PhD; Hau Cheng, MS; Katie E. Cherry, PhD; Yu-wen Chiu, MPH; Liliana Cosenza, BS; M. Elaine Cress, PhD-Consultant; Jianliang Dai, PhD; James P. DeLany, PhD…
Faith, Conversion, and Challenge
Chinese Christians in the United States have experienced unique challenges after their conversion to Christianity. Twenty-two highly religious Chinese Christian couples (N = 44) were interviewed to examine how religious faith influenced their marriage and family life. Questions regarding faith, marriage, family life, and challenges with religious beliefs and practices were asked. Qualitative grounded theory methods were employed to analyze the da…
Religion and Relationships in Muslim Families
Since 11 September 2001, Islam has been the center of many debates, discussions, parodies and publications. Many Muslims feel that their religion has been portrayed unfairly in Western media. The topics that seem to generate the most criticism relate to gender roles and the treatment of women, both inside the home and in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived role of Islam on marital and familial relationships from an insi…
A Pragmatic, Step-by-Step Guide for Qualitative Methods
Making the Connection between Prayer, Faith, and Forgiveness in Roman Catholic Families
This study examines meanings and processes associated with religious practices of prayer, building faith, and forgiving through in-depth, qualitative interviews with six highly religious Roman Catholic families with children. Families were interviewed using a narrative approach that asked participants to share experiences and challenges related to faith and family life. Three primary themes in the interviews included: (a) prayer helps piece the p…
Psychology (87 works) · Social Psychology (74 works) · Sociology (67 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (66 works) · Qualitative research (35 works) · Social science (35 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (34 works) · Social Psychology (33 works) · Faith (31 works) · Gender Studies (31 works)