Romantic relationships often involve sharing personal thoughts, fears, and dreams, but what about spiritual beliefs? New research published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality suggests that couples who engage in open and supportive discussions about their spiritual or religious experiences tend to report greater relationship satisfaction and commitment. These conversations may create a unique bond that goes beyond emotional intimacy alone. The researchers conducted this study to address a gap in social science research regarding how religious and spiritual factors influence dating relationships. While prior studies have examined individual religiosity—such as the frequency of attending religious services or the general importance of religion—findings have been inconsistent. Some studies suggest that greater individual religiosity enhances relationship satisfaction, while others find no effect or even report associations with behaviors such as emotional or sexual intimacy outside a committed partnership. Given these mixed findings, the researchers sought to examine a more specific relational dynamic: whether sharing spiritual experiences and listening supportively, rather than simply identifying as religious, plays a meaningful role in relationship quality. To investigate this question, …