Marriage is the central sacrament of love through which we find God. This does
not mean that those who are single, separated, divorced, unloved, cannot find
God, or are not in the presence of God – everyone has their way of being in the
presence of God – but it does mean that for the married God is found
continuously in the neighbour of spouse and in children. In the presence of that
love the invisible God becomes visible.
However, this reflection must be continually revisited and built upon if it is to remain
relevant.
Marriage and singleness
Although outside the scope of this essay, special consideration must be given to
singleness in relation to marriage. Even allowing for Roman Catholic teaching on
celibacy, the church has a reputation for viewing marriage as the ‘normal’ state for most
men and women, with singleness as a time of waiting for ‘the right person’ to come
along. This is not the position of this essay. The New Testament sees both marriage
and singleness as equally valid. Both are described by Paul as gifts (1 Corinthians 7:7)
with no priority given to one over the other. As Kristin Aune (2002 pp.110f) says:
Because Christians have had an incorrect understanding of the gift of singleness,
many see singleness not as a gift but simply as a period of waiting for a partner.
Singleness has come to be something Christians seek to get rid of, rather than
something they wish to rest in, as Paul advocates. This has led to a
preoccupation with finding a partner, and a view that anyone who fails to find
someone to marry is just that – a failure. The current imbalance in the number
of single Christian men and women has further led women to panic that they
will remain ‘left on the shelf’, and men either to become arrogant because they
have so many women to choose from, or to withdraw from the church situation
entirely because they cannot cope with the pressure placed on them.
Viewing singleness simply as a period of waiting to be married is not only unbiblical, it is also unhelpful for both men and women. Any theology of marriage must be held in tension with a similar theology of singleness.
Marriage and God’s nature
Fundamental to the Christian understanding of God’s nature is the concept of
relationship, expressed not only in the Trinity but also in the knowability of God and the
possibility of human-divine communion. This communion, reflected in all human
relationships, particularly in marriage, is used by Scripture in a unique way to illustrate
something of the nature of God.
not mean that those who are single, separated, divorced, unloved, cannot find
God, or are not in the presence of God – everyone has their way of being in the
presence of God – but it does mean that for the married God is found
continuously in the neighbour of spouse and in children. In the presence of that
love the invisible God becomes visible.
However, this reflection must be continually revisited and built upon if it is to remain
relevant.
Marriage and singleness
Although outside the scope of this essay, special consideration must be given to
singleness in relation to marriage. Even allowing for Roman Catholic teaching on
celibacy, the church has a reputation for viewing marriage as the ‘normal’ state for most
men and women, with singleness as a time of waiting for ‘the right person’ to come
along. This is not the position of this essay. The New Testament sees both marriage
and singleness as equally valid. Both are described by Paul as gifts (1 Corinthians 7:7)
with no priority given to one over the other. As Kristin Aune (2002 pp.110f) says:
Because Christians have had an incorrect understanding of the gift of singleness,
many see singleness not as a gift but simply as a period of waiting for a partner.
Singleness has come to be something Christians seek to get rid of, rather than
something they wish to rest in, as Paul advocates. This has led to a
preoccupation with finding a partner, and a view that anyone who fails to find
someone to marry is just that – a failure. The current imbalance in the number
of single Christian men and women has further led women to panic that they
will remain ‘left on the shelf’, and men either to become arrogant because they
have so many women to choose from, or to withdraw from the church situation
entirely because they cannot cope with the pressure placed on them.
Viewing singleness simply as a period of waiting to be married is not only unbiblical, it is also unhelpful for both men and women. Any theology of marriage must be held in tension with a similar theology of singleness.
Marriage and God’s nature
Fundamental to the Christian understanding of God’s nature is the concept of
relationship, expressed not only in the Trinity but also in the knowability of God and the
possibility of human-divine communion. This communion, reflected in all human
relationships, particularly in marriage, is used by Scripture in a unique way to illustrate
something of the nature of God.
++++
Jeremy Taylor and the theology of marriage
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3818/is_200204/ai_n9069722/
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