Family has been and continues to be a surprisingly evolving reality,
and each permutation carries with it a new constellation of religious
ideas and practices. Whether tradition refers to several hundred
years or to merely two or three generations, it is always, to varying
degrees, adapted and transformed as it is passed on. Religion was
enmeshed in the family so that as definitions of the family and marriage
shifted over time, religion was shaped accordingly. But the
converse is also true. Religion has shaped our understanding of the
family. Most weddings in the United States, for example, are conducted
by clergy and take place in a religious institution, regardless
of the religious devotion or piety of the couple. . . . The tension
around family diversity is acutely illustrated by the polarized “family
values” debate that emerged over a decade ago and continues to undergird
political and religious discourse related to family issues.