Complete Idiot's Guide to Interfaith Relationships [Paperback]

Laurie E. Rozakis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Laurie Rozakis has written a number Complete Idiot's books, so for The Complete Idiot's Guide to Interfaith Relationships, she's well equipped to tackle a cumbersome topic and break it down into manageable, sensible bites. Rozakis smartly divides the book into two sections: the first helps readers figure out if they would be able to take on the challenge of an interfaith relationship, and the next gives readers strategies for making that relationship successful.

Some of the book's advice is embarrassingly obvious: when meeting your future Jewish in-laws for the first time, don't flaunt your crucifix or arrange to meet on Easter Sunday. Other times the advice is thoughtful and solid: never rush into religious conversions or rigidly insist that a spouse convert. Rozakis also discusses different nuptial traditions within a variety of religions, such as Catholicism, Hinduism, Unitarianism, and Islam. This kind of preparation is priceless, especially as couples seek to understand and incorporate traditions into a blended ceremony. After the wedding section, the author launches into explanations of how different religions view marital sex--offering a rather fascinating lesson in sexual traditions, even if you're not considering an interfaith marriage. As with any Complete Idiot's book, the voice is formulaic, and one always has the feeling the author was told to dumb down the language to make it more accessible. That said, this is still an excellent resource, with well-indexed topics, allowing for easy reference at any stage of an interfaith relationship, including the possibilities of divorce or parenthood. --Gail Hudson

From the Back Cover

Though interfaith relationships are so common today that in some faiths and age groups they are almost the norm, the couples involved still face difficulties that same faith couples do not. This book is a frank discussion of religious identity, of the many factors to be considered when an interfaith romance becomes a marriage, and of the wedding itself. It suggests ways in which couples can start and maintain their own traditions and gives quidelines for deciding how to rear children and deal with discrimination. Even dealing with issues involving divorce and death, the guide is filled with useful information and resources for all religions.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 1st edition (January 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028639812
• ISBN-13: 978-0028639819
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #802,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival guide to the wilderness of interfaith relationships, April 10, 2002

By 

"doher005" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Interfaith Relationships (Paperback)

This is the most practical book I've found on the subject. It gives very useful advice about day-to-day situations that you will encounter in your interfaith relationship, such as meeting your significant other's parents for the first time, responding to concerns voiced by friends or family (it even gives advice for friends and families), planning the wedding, deciding what customs to practice or not practice as a couple and as individuals, celebrating holidays together, deciding how to raise children, dealing with family conflicts over baptisms etc., and more. Throughout, it alerts the reader to potential pitfalls and how to avoid them. I was impressed with the sensitive, nonjudgemental approach to such a wide variety of common scenarios that involve not only religion but cultural, ethnic, and racial differences as well. The book also contains introductions to a variety of religions to give the reader a basic knowledge and awareness of his/her sig other's religion. There are some great books out there on the more subtle psychological aspects of interfaith relationships, but this book is a must-have for advice on how to survive on a daily basis. I would recommend reading this book early in your relationship and using it as a starting point for deeper exploration of your significant other's religion.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival guide to the wilderness of interfaith relationships, April 10, 2002

By 

"doher005" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Interfaith Relationships (Paperback)

This is the most practical book I've found on the subject. It gives very useful advice about day-to-day situations that you will encounter in your interfaith relationship, such as meeting your significant other's parents for the first time, responding to concerns voiced by friends or family (it even gives advice for friends and families), planning the wedding, deciding what customs to practice or not practice as a couple and as individuals, celebrating holidays together, deciding how to raise children, dealing with family conflicts over baptisms etc., and more. Throughout, it alerts the reader to potential pitfalls and how to avoid them. I was impressed with the sensitive, nonjudgemental approach to such a wide variety of common scenarios that involve not only religion but cultural, ethnic, and racial differences as well. The book also contains introductions to a variety of religions to give the reader a basic knowledge and awareness of his/her sig other's religion. There are some great books out there on the more subtle psychological aspects of interfaith relationships, but this book is a must-have for advice on how to survive on a daily basis. I would recommend reading this book early in your relationship and using it as a starting point for deeper exploration of your significant other's religion.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Practical, February 7, 2007

By 

R. Letarte - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Interfaith Relationships (Paperback)

I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The book is written by a woman in a Jewish/Christian relationship, and I would say that it is skewed significantly but inadvertantly toward that audience. A lot of the advice in the book is written for laughs rather than practicality. For example, one suggestion to calm fears of cooking a dinner for inlaws is to put so many garnishes on the plate that they spend all their time picking through them without getting to taste the food. Or else, cook a traditional dish from an unfamiliar country so that your mother in law will not know what it's even supposed to taste like anyway. My areas of most careful reading centered upon Islam and Christianity, and I can say that most of the serious advice and religious background was basic. When they say for "Idiots", they aren't joking.