Date of Award

5-15-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Sacred Theology (STM)

Department

Systematic Theology

First Advisor

Joel D. Biermann

Scripture References in this Resource

Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:18–25; Malachi 2:13–16; Matthew 19:3–9; 1 Corinthians 7:1–9; Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 1 Timothy 5:3–16

Abstract

Modern married couples and marriage-minded individuals are often left awash in a sea of confusion aimlessly groping about for a purpose for their marriage, with disastrous societal results. Whereas long-standing Christian tradition has taught a unified threefold marital purpose of three equal elements—procreation, mutual help, and remedy for sin—Enlightenment thinkers and their ideological descendants have introduced a hierarchical marriage teleology with a self-chosen purpose (usually companionship) at the top in order to correct for an alleged countervailing overemphasis on procreation in premodern marital teleology.

This thesis will challenge the claim of a relative deficiency in the companionate aspect of premodern marriage teleology by demonstrating a robust theology of unified threefold purpose in key theological writings on marriage, primarily from Augustine, John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, and the marriage rite in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Then, an exegesis of 1 Tim. 2:15, one flesh union passages, and other Scriptures pertaining to the purpose of marriage will bolster the joined-together nature of the threefold purpose of marriage elucidated in the historical investigation. Finally, consideration will be given to the significant vocational, ethical, and liturgical implications of the unified threefold purpose of marriage.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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