Dynamics of interfaith marriages

The increasing occurrence of intermarriages across international boundaries is an impact of globalisation frequently overlooked. Intermarriage is arguably the best indicator as to whether a particular group is fully integrated into and accepted by the main stream community. The article looks at the problems and challenges associated with religious intermixing with a particular emphasis on Christian-Muslim marriages. How the 'religious' communities deal with these marriages over the next few generations will be of importance, not only for the community in focus, but also more broadly for interfaith and intercultural affairs. In this context, the article also presents an eschatological perspective on interfaith marriage as a vocation of holiness and a life of difficult freedom. It argues that interfaith marriage is an encounter with the word of God.