Does “I do” include God?

Abstract

“Does ‘I do’ include God?” is a research project by Phillip Wilson, submitted December 9, 2017, in partial fulfillment of the Master of Divinity at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This qualitative study seeks to explore the experiences of United Church of Canada clergy officiating weddings that are not explicitly Christian. Included is a review of relevant literature, a general theological framework, and data provided by an online survey and by the research partners. The benefits of this research will be to inform the United Church of Canada, current clergy and theological students as to the practice among the church. The data may allow the church to identify and respond to the phenomenon of the population segment who identify as spiritual but not religious.