Intermarriage

Intermarriage, also known as interfaith marriage, interreligious marriage, or mixed marriage, is a civil or religious union of two persons who individually adhere to different religions, faiths, or belief systems. Possible tensions arise relating to issues of premarital sexual relations; the wedding ceremony; observing religious celebrations, rites, and rituals; and the spectrum of religiosity within the joint household that can include extended family members and children. As most marriages [Page 563]are performed with a blend of civil and religious ceremonies, there are various ways in which religion is negotiated postmarriage, especially as the religious laws of one partner's faith may forbid such a marriage. These options include the following: conversion to the religion of the spouse, two distinctly different religions practiced within the same household, ...