Religion And The Private Sphere Marriage and Fertility Gender Roles Child-Rearing

“Marriage And Fertility” Conservative Protestants marry earlier Church attendance and religious devotion matter Same-faith vs. Cross-faith marriages . . . questions of theological distance Fertility Conservative Protestants have lots of kids Pronatalist theology and high levels of commitment Early marriage and low socioeconomic status

Gender & Marriage Ideals Evangelical Fundamentalist Mainline Liberal Catholic Empty or unfulfilling marriages should be ended in divorce 13% 22% 29% 41% 35% Marriage should be an equal partnership 87% 83% 88% 92% Husband should be head of the family 90% 71% 59% 38%

“Marriage And Fertility” Conservative Protestants marry earlier Church attendance and religious devotion matter Same-faith vs. Cross-faith marriages . . . questions of theological distance Fertility Conservative Protestants have lots of kids Pronatalist theology and high levels of commitment Early marriage and low socioeconomic status

Religion and The Private Sphere “Gender Roles” Traditional Patriarchy “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (Gen 3:16) Total Egalitarianism “In Christ, there is neither male nor female” (Gal 3:28) Ideological/Symbolic Traditionalism Men’s Roles (material well-being, spiritual well-being, decision maker) Women’s Roles (nurturer, child-rearer, housemaker) Pragmatic Egalitarianism “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. Husbands ought to love their wives as their own body. He who loves his wife loves himself, after all, no one ever hated his body, but he feeds and cares for it.” (Eph 5:21-33)

Religion and The Private Sphere “Gender Roles” Islam has similar approaches to “separate spheres” in the home: Symbolic Traditionalism . . . (Qu’ran 4:34) The men are made responsible for the women, and God has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. The righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is God’s commandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then deserting them in bed, then you may beat them. If they obey you, you are not permitted to transgress against them. Pragmatic Egalitarianism . . . (Qu’ran 4:32) You shall not covet the qualities bestowed upon each other by God; the men enjoy certain qualities, and the women enjoy certain qualities.

“Child-Rearing” Well-Defined Gendered Parental Roles and Hierarchical Parent-Child Relationships More Likely To Endorse And Use Corporal Punishment (Shaping The Will) Less Yelling And More Hugging (Building The Spirit) Fathers Spending More Quality Time With Kids Proverbs 13:24; 23:14 (New International Version)  He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. You shall beat him with the rod and deliver his soul from hell. 2 Samuel 7:14 (New International Version) I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. Hebrews 12:7-11 (New International Version) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

“Child-Rearing” Well-Defined Gendered Parental Roles and Hierarchical Parent-Child Relationships More Likely To Endorse And Use Corporal Punishment (Shaping The Will) Less Yelling And More Hugging (Building The Spirit) Fathers Spending More Quality Time With Kids