Don Browning

In the following viewpoint, Don Browning maintains that marital love based on mutuality—the notion that people should give their spouses and children the respect and affection they expect for themselves—may represent the best model for marriage in the future. He contrasts mutuality with self-sacrifice and self- fulfillment, options that focus on the needs of only one of the spouses. According to Browning, the mutuality approach could help end the divorce culture and improve marriage. Browning is an Alexander Campbell professor of ethics and the social sciences at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percentage of Americans say that marital love is best defined by mutuality, as cited by the author?
2. According to statistics cited by Browning, what percentage of women favor mutuality...