MARRIAGE

Why did Paul teach to forgo marriage?

Imminence of the Kingdom of God–the parousia

Paul’s new view of marriage

Shifted his theology since perusia didn’t happen. Marriage reflects the union of Christ with the Church.

Personal Decision

Marriage based on personal choice and love between the couple.

Theological critique of Paul

• No superior vocation

• Able to serve God through marriage or celibacy

• Important is how faithfully you live your chosen vocation

What does faith mean?

“to choose” decisions that nurture not only your growth, but the other’s as well

What does faith as “to see” mean?

Go beyond appearances, and see God in the “other”

Faith as personal involvement

believing, doing, hoping

What is faith an encounter of?

Encounter between the divine and human

Faith is accepting and living out that grace

• Living out that grace is what we subjectively do

• God’s grace is what God objectively does

Sacrament meaning

a sign of invisible grace

What is marriage a sign of?

God’s love for the church in Christ

What does it mean when a sacrament is valid and effective?

• Valid: fulfill the minimum requirements of the sacrament

• Effective: have active faith – actively participating, believing, and living out

Minimum requirement of Marriage

a priest, man and woman, 3 witnesses, a ceremony, and done in church

Marriage as active faith

• Will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth

• Lived out until death

3 goods of Marriage

children, marital love, sacrament of divine love

Marriage in the past

• Arranged marriages as a guarantee to protect wealth and bear children

• Love was not required, only obligation to your family

Pros of Marriage today

• Couple’s personal decision to marry for love

• Family is more egalitarian and democratic

Cons of Marriage today

• Family now lost the support of extended family

• More incidences of divorce, premarital and promiscuous sex due to the lack of support from extended family