The Concept of Marriage in Christian Theology - Essay Example

The Concept of Marriage in Christian Theology Christian attitude towards the phenomenon of marriage hasits own idiosyncrasies, which are determined by the fact that the marriage is considered not only as a social institution, but also as a gift of God. Marriage is observed in close connection with Gods plan, which is embodied in the fact that men and women complement each other through the creation of family relations. Sacred significance and the meaning of marriage suggest a few basic themes within which marriage is considered. In particular, according to one of the themes, marriage "is both unitive and procreative" (“Marriage,” 11). One can also designate other equally important topics of the consideration of marriage, namely marriage as "as a reflection of the life of the Trinity," "domestic Church," and "a vocation." (“Marriage,” 35, 38, 43). Finally, Christian theology considers the themes of "growth in Christian marriage," "growth in the virtues toward perfection, "and a" marriage fulfilled in the Kingdom of God" (“Marriage,” 45, 47, 52, 56)ю As indicated above, the Christian church in the face of Catholic priests based is on the belief that marriage is not only a creation of the people as a union between men and women. Marriage is primarily a gift of God, which is regarded by God as free from original sin. The sanctity of marriage is determined by the union between a man and a woman, who are created in the image and likeness of God. In addition, the basic meaning of marriage is that it "has two fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented, namely, the good of the spouses as well as the procreation of children" ("Marriage," 11). A man and a woman are united in marriage not only as spiritual beings, but also as material beings. They become one flesh. United by love, men and women live for each other. Each of them thinks about his/her partner as the meaning of life that causes them to be ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of him/her. This unity finds its logical continuation in children. Having children is an amazing act that sanctifies the union between a man and a woman and makes it adequate to Gods plan. Only the appearance of children makes a marriage a true union between a man and a woman. According to the second theme, the Christian understanding of earthly marriage involves its comparison with the Trinity. Earthly marriage is a union between a man, a woman, and their children. This unity is based on love and devotion that make all members of the family inextricably linked. The basic meaning of marriage is self-sacrifice and self-giving. The same can be argued about the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. God the Father infinitely loves His son, whom He created for the highest mission. He sends His love to His son who accepts it. In turn, with the help of the Holy Spirit Christ returns His love to the Father. Thus, the union between a man and a woman in the form of marriage is similar to the union between God the Father and God the Son. In addition, the family is a "domestic Church," living according to the laws of God’s Church (“Marriage,” 38). The task of men and women who create a family and have children is to embody the ideal of earthly church within their family relationships. This assumes a compliance with moral and ethical ideals that govern the lives of all family members. Parents should take care of that their children were brought up in a morally pure realm in accordance with Christian principles. This in turn suggests that parents explain to their children the importance of creating a family and maintaining it in accordance with the principles of spiritual purity and innocence. In other words, "as the first Christian families were islands of faith in their time, so Catholic families today are called to be beacons of faith, - centers of living, radiant faith" ("Marriage," 39). This theme is related the theme considering marriage as a vocation. The goal of each person is to create a godly family built on the principles of love, respect, and understanding between the spouses. "As a vocation, marriage is just as necessary and valuable to the Church as other vocations" ("Marriage," 43). The main mission of marriage is to give love to one’s loved ones and thus make a godly family, because "God is love" ("Marriage," 43). In order to create a family based primarily on love people from an early age need to understand the true meaning of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. In this regard, the role of parents as moral mentors capable of providing their children with the necessary understanding of the essence of marriage is extremely important. Another theme considers marriage as a condition and the reason for the spiritual growth of men and women. Once the man and woman say “Yes” to each other and become a husband and a wife, they begin their journey to the moral and moral perfection ("Marriage," 45). This moral perfection is also embodied in intimacy between husband and wife, since it inspires it and fills with the deep mystical significance. The theme of growth in the virtues toward perfection requires constant improvement of moral qualities on the path to spiritual ideal ("Marriage," 47). In this regard, attention should be paid not only to such virtues as kindness and compassion, but also to chastity and gratitude. Each family is faced with many challenges, difficulties and temptations. However, despite this, it has to follow the path of the development of such qualities as loyalty, chastity, as well as gratitude and respect to God. A man and a woman as the creators of the family unit must remember that its existence is justified by Gods will, and therefore it should correspond to Gods plan. Finally, the topic of marriage as a reflection of the kingdom of God includes all the previous topics. It requires men and women to create a union that will proclaim Gods value on the earth ("Marriage," 52). The main driving force as well as the foundation of the family is love that connects the hearts, souls, and bodies of the spouses into a coherent whole. The harmony of their souls and bodies is aimed to create an earthly kingdom of God. In general, the Christian understanding of the phenomena of the family and marriage presupposes the presence of men, women and children as the fruit of their love. According to this understanding, contraception is a sin because it denies the possibility of extending the life of the family, which is the main purpose of the family according to Gods plan. In addition, the Christian interpretation of the family as a mental and physical unity between a man and a woman rejects homosexual unions as contrary to the very concept of marriage. Christian theology substantiates the idea that homosexual unions violate the true understanding of marriage as a sacred union between opposite sexes, which complement each other. Christianity also shows a negative relationship to divorce and extramarital sexual relations. Both phenomena according to the Christian point of view violate the sacrament of marriage as a blameless and pure union between a man and a woman, which should not be destroyed by either the perversity of premarital sexual relations of the cruelty of divorce. All this can be explained by the fact that the Christian tradition considers marriage and the family as a reflection of the kingdom of God, that justifies the high standards placed upon them. Work Cited “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” A Pastoral Letter of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, D.C: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2009. Print. Read More