Premium
Not Just a Time‐Out: Change Dynamics of Prayer for Religious Couples in Conflict Situations
Author(s) -
BUTLER MARK H.,
GARDNER BRANDT C.,
BIRD MARK H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1998.00451.x
Subject(s) - prayer , dynamics (music) , psychology , social psychology , psychoanalysis , criminology , religious studies , philosophy , pedagogy
For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. A qualitative methodology consisting of structured interviews of religious spouses was used to investigate effects of prayer on couple interaction during conflict. A reliable description of the dynamics of prayer across spouse interviews was extracted by four analysts using a group interpretive procedure. Findings suggest that prayer invokes a couple‐God system, which significantly influences couple interaction during conflict. Overall, prayer appears to be a significant “softening” event for religious couples, facilitating reconciliation and problem solving. Prayer 1) invokes an experience of relationship with Deity; 2) deescalates hostile emotions and reduces emotional reactivity; 3) enhances relationship and partner orientation and behavior; 4) facilitates empathy and unbiased perspective; 5) increases self‐change focus; and 6) encourages couple responsibility for reconciliation and problem solving. Therapists' support of religious couples' use of prayer as a change mechanism is considered.