A theology of marriage explains the meanings and implications of marriage according to a religion’s doctrines, often drawing from sacred texts and traditions. It may include rulings on who can marry, how to act while married, and what happens after death. Theological views may conflict with legal views, creating tension. Marriage can be seen as an indissoluble commitment for life and a representation of divine love. Some religions have specific rules about marriage-related behaviors, such as who one can marry and sexual behavior. Failure to adhere to these rules may be considered sinful.
A theology of marriage is an explanation of the meanings and implications of marriage according to the theological doctrines of a particular religion. Theological interpretations of marriage are usually drawn from a combination of the sacred texts and traditions of the religion in question. In some cases, the governing bodies of various religions may also issue statements on the theology of marriage that become part of those religions’ traditions. The theology may include rulings and descriptions of who can marry, how to act while married, and what happens to marriage after death. Sometimes, these theological views do not match legal views of marriage, thus creating tension between law and religion.
A major concern of any given theology of religion is to give a metaphysical understanding of what happens when people get married. Physically, the people involved simply pledge to be together and loyal to one another, which confers certain legal benefits and responsibilities. The theological implications of marriage, however, are often far more significant. A particular theology of marriage may consider marriage an indissoluble commitment for life and, in some cases, beyond death. Marriage can be seen as a representation and appreciation of the love of a deity as experienced through the indissoluble unity of two persons, essentially uniting the human and the divine.
It is not uncommon for a theology of marriage to disagree with the legal understanding and practice of marriage on some points. In the Catholic Church, for example, marriage is not considered valid unless it is celebrated through the sacramental marriage ceremony of the church. Furthermore, legal divorce is not possible in the Catholic Church. In Catholic theology of marriage, the spiritual communion of a man and his wife is considered indissoluble. The only way to guarantee a “divorce” in the Catholic Church is to prove that, for whatever reason, the marriage never happened properly in the first place.
In general, a marriage theology explicitly suggests or includes a set of marriage-related behaviors that are or are not appropriate. A marriage theology may, for example, prohibit members of that religion from marrying individuals who adhere to other belief systems. It is also common for a theology of marriage to include specific rules about sexual behavior, the treatment of one’s spouse, and the birth and rearing of children. Failure to adhere to such theological rules may be considered somehow inappropriate or even sinful and offensive.
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