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Dear John,
As we approach a welcome new year, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Many who’ve managed to navigate 2020’s challenges, and perhaps even prosper, did so by leaning on marriage and family. This makes sense. As I wrote in The Future of Christian Marriage, matrimony is a relationship of interdependence. It is meant to be a load-bearing structure, strong enough to withstand inevitable difficulties. And as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, two together can accomplish more than one.
That simple math is under fire. Esteem for the family is no longer common sense, and in some circles, “marriage” feels like a dirty word. What’s left to take their place? Misguided confidence in the self, the beneficence of states, and dependence on the generosity of strangers are all on display. Witness, for example, the new surge in crowdfunding for individuals’ basic living expenses. Americans are slowing giving up on marriage and family, arrangements which historically spill over in generosity to aid those without.
You can count on Public Discourse to continue illuminating readers about how social, cultural, and political changes are affecting our most intimate unions. We believe our readers benefit from voices that don’t always sound alike, but that are together committed to a common defense of those institutions necessary for human flourishing.
If you’ve learned from the breadth of work featured here, I hope you’ll consider giving back just a bit to ensure that our efforts continue seamlessly. And if you donate before December 31, your gift will be doubled, thanks to the generosity of Witherspoon Institute Trustee Michael Maibach and Trustee Emeritus Boyd Smith.
Yours,
Mark Regnerus
Contributing Editor, Public Discourse
Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin
Senior Fellow, Austin Institute
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