Marriage after modernity : Christian marriage in postmodern times / Adrian Thatcher.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thatcher, Adrian.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marriage--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Marriage.

Physical Description:

329 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, 1999.

Summary:

Most Christians hold marriage to be a sacrament, created and uniquely blessed by God. Yet, the theology of marriage rarely matches its actual experience. Marriage is too often discovered to be a violent, loveless institution, and increasingly it is delayed, avoided, and terminated.

Marriage after Modernity offers a new vision for Christian marriage at a time of unprecedented social and theological change. It provides an unreserved commendation of Christian marriage, reaffirming its status as a sacrament and institution of mutual self-giving, while simultaneously breaking new ground. Thatcher draws on earlier traditions of betrothal and informal marriage to accept some forms of premarital cohabitation and presents a new defense of the link between marriage and procreation by sketching a theology of liberation for children. Chapters bring new light to bear on divorce and legitimate theological grounds for "the parting of the ways," contraception, and the question of whether marriage is a heterosexual institution. Particular attention is paid throughout the book to overcoming the androcentric bias of much Christian thought and the distorting effect it has had on marriage, particularly on the experiences of wives.

Marriage after Modernity argues for a vision of marriage that does not abandon its history and that draws upon its premodern roots to grapple with our current social, cultural, and intellectual upheavals.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Marriage, Method and Modernity 9

1. Christian Marriage 9

Chapter 2 Christian Marriage: The Two Dialogues 31

1. The Internal Dialogue 31

2. The External Dialogue 47

3. Christian Marriage: The Revised Agenda 61

Chapter 3 The Biblical Models of Marriage 67

2. Reclaiming the Biblical Models 87

Chapter 4 Cohabitation, Betrothal and the Entry into Marriage 103

1. Cohabitation and Something to Celebrate 103

2. Revisiting the Tradition 108

3. Betrothal: Reclamation and Reinstatement 120

Chapter 5 A Theology of Liberation for Children 132

1. Beginning with Children 132

2. A Theology of Liberation for Children 142

Chapter 6 Betrothal, Marriage and Contraception 171

1. The Problem: The Place of Contraception in Betrothal and Christian Marriage 171

2. Three Types of Argument against Contraception, and their Transformation 182

3. Conclusion: Contraception in Christian Marriage 204

Chapter 7 Marriage: Communal Partnership, Mutually Administered Sacrament 209

1. Marriage as Communal Partnership 210

2. Marriage as a Sacrament 232

Chapter 8 The Parting of the Ways 249

1. Divorce and Remarriage: A Conventional Perspective 250

2. Divorce and Remarriage: A 'Re-visionary Perspective' 256

3. Divorce, Annulment and Remarriage 272

Chapter 9 Christian Marriage after Modernity 289

1. Christian Marriage after Patriarchy 290

2. Christian Marriage 'after Heterosexuality'? 294.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [305]-316) and indexes.

ISBN:

0814782507

0814782515

OCLC:

41273131