A theology of marriage: A biblical or a cultural construct?

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title A theology of marriage: A biblical or a cultural construct?
 
Creator van Eck, Ernest
 
Subject — marriage; Christian marriage; Jesus; Paul; celibacy; Augustus; cultural construct; biblical, Church Fathers
Description This article argues that the contemporary mainline understanding of marriage (theology of marriage), especially in the local South African denominational context, is not ‘based on the Bible’, but rather on a cultural construct. Moreover, this construct is not based on Judeo-Christian values and norms; it is the result of early Christianity’s enculturation into the world of the Roman Empire. It is also argued that a definition of Christian marriage as being an institution originated by God, consisting of a monogamous and lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, cannot be based on the Bible. The reason for this is that the institution of marriage in ancient times was something totally different from what we understand today, the fact that the Bible also gives evidence of different understandings (forms) of marriage from the time of the patriarchs up to the 2nd century, and that Jesus, Paul and the Church Fathers preferred celibacy to marriage.Contribution: This article aim to contribute to the current discussion, especially in the local South African denominational context, on the institution of marriage as being ‘biblical’, and its relationship to same sex-relations being typified as marriages.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2020-12-04
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v76i4.6027
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 76, No 4 (2020); 8 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6027/16850 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6027/16849 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6027/16851 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6027/16848
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Ernest van Eck https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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