October 14, 2009 — Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University, will speak about "Not So Sacred Vows: Religion and Marriage in America," on Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. in the Dome Room of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia.

As one of the nation's leading family scholars, Cherlin's work is regularly featured in the New York Times and Washington Post and on National Public Radio. His lecture will draw from his recent book, "The Marriage-Go-Round" (2009), which explores the causes and consequences of family instability in the United States.

Cherlin will explore the contributions that religion makes to contemporary married life in the U.S., as well as the ways in which the influence of religion on marriage is undercut by individualism in the pews and the broader society.

The lecture is sponsored by the U.Va.-based National Marriage Project, and is co-sponsored by the departments of Religious Studies and Sociology, as well as the Center for Children, Families, and the Law and the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville. The lecture is free and open to the public.