Why We Should Expect Christian Men to Underperform in Dating

Ex ante, there are at least 4 reasons why we should expect Christian men to underperform their secular peers in the dating market.

1. Investment Incentives

   A secular man’s sexual reward for investing in his dating life is shorter-term, likelier to happen with a given woman, and comes at much lower cost in terms of commitment. Therefore, a secular man has a higher incentive to invest in his dating life.

2. Selection Effects

   A man who has high dating market value will receive greater sexual reward in the secular dating market and therefore is more likely to select out of the Christian pool. Conversely, a man who has low dating market value is more likely to stay in the Christian pool as marriage is likely his optimal strategy for sexual reward (albeit largely duty sex).

3. Experience

   Because a Christian man is only receiving his sexual reward in marriage, he is less likely to spend time with women with whom he does not see a long-term future. Therefore, he will have less experience with women, all else being equal.

4. Early Marriage

   The churches encourage men to marry young and thereby to “sell” well below their peak dating market value, which for a man is often in his mid-30s.