Who would have guessed that the institution of marriage was in so much trouble? In the midst of the battle over same-sex marriage, which seems to be all about declaring marriage something worth fighting for, everyone else seems to be worrying about whether the family as a social institution, and marriage along with it, are collapsing into nothingness, dragging with them all that we value in our daily lives. Most of the articles prepared for this issue try to address this issue, arguing that marriage is evolving out of existence, that it is being replaced by cohabitation or some other domestic configuration, or that it can readily adapt to any challenges being thrown its way. Reading these essays was a bit like being surrounded by children battling over their mothers’ virtues–“”your mama’s never getting married,”” versus “”she is too.”” So is this a real issue, or are academics who specialize in the study of marriage and the family just trying to drum up business? A number of themes present themselves in these contributions, and I tackle them one by one, adding my comments to the mix as I proceed. (Author abstract).