Influence Of The Christian Church On Western Marriage In The Last 100 Years Essay - 2,214 words

INFLUENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ON WESTERN MARRIAGE IN THE LAST 100 YEARS TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Christianity in America3 A. Christianitys Influence on Marriage3 B. Protestants Influence on Marriage 4 II. Emergence of Divorce 5 A. Churchs View on Divorce6 III.


Churchs View on Gay Marriage7 IV. Conclusion8 Works Cited 10 Marriage, as we know it in our Western civilization today, has a long history with roots in several very different ancient cultures, of which the Roman, Hebrew, and Germanic are the most important. Western marriage has further been shaped by the doctrines and policies of the medieval Christian church, the demands of the Protestant Reformation, and the social impact of the Industrial Revolution (History of Marriage). Amidst all these, the Christian Church remains as the guardian of marriage and continues to be the bearer of this sacred tradition (History of Marriage in Western Civilization). I. Christianity in America Christianity had a major impact upon American life. In addition to the widespread conversion of people as its direct influence, it made a very important indirect influence by helping to set the moral tone of the country.


The ideals of the nation were rooted in Biblical Christianity. Church membership grew rapidly and older denominations increased in membership. Many new denominations were organized such as the Nazarenes, Disciples of Christ, and Holiness and Pentecostal groups. Most churches in most of the major denominations sponsored annual revivals, which often affected entire families and communities. It was during this era that laymens organizations became active in many churches and helped to spread the influence of Christianity. By the turn of the twentieth century, Methodists formed the largest Christian denomination in the country (6,000,000 members) and Baptists were second (5,000,000 members) (Churches and Religion).


A. Christianitys Influence on Marriage During the last 100 years, America experienced new widespread revival, which was to have a major impact upon the nations future. Certainly, not all Americans were converted, but few were unaffected by the new surge of Christianity. Under the influence of the Bible, Americans took part in widespread evangelization. Many Americans accepted the Bible as the inspired Word of God; a few openly rejected the Bible; and some were deceived into accepting various perversions of its teachings. Yet the broad truths of the Bible had played such a key role in the founding of America. It was to play a key role in the maturing of the nation.


During the last 100 years, monogamy was and still is the only accepted form of marriage in both Catholic and Protestant countries. However, the gradual emancipation of marriage laws from the control of the church resulted in greater individual freedom (History of Marriage in Western Civilization). Gradually the church was loosening its strongholds on married people as they began to lead more liberated lives. It was during the last 100 years too, that the parents began to lose influence over the marital choices of their children, and romantic love became an important factor in marriage (History of Marriage in Western Civilization). B. Protestants View on Marriage When one goes back to the Protestant view of marriage, one sees that John Calvin and the rest of the authors developed a more sophisticated analogy for marriage.


Calvin applied his own theory about justification as establishing a covenant of grace to the marriage union. It was he who supported that God draws a husband and wife into a covenant relationship with each other." He advocated a strict code of marital morality which gave a spiritual dimension to marriage in the earthly kingdom. This was because the state had a rein on the spiritual dimension of marriage. But the churchs voice had to be consulted every now and then. He reminds us that the Geneva Council, a political body, enjoyed the authority to punish infractions of sexual morality among both the married and the unmarried. (Hitchcock, J.


1993) II. Emergence of Divorce Amidst all these major marital trends and issues that emerged during the last half of the 20th century, the issue of divorce replaced death as the end of the majority of marriages. (Pinsof, William, 2002). For example, In the 20th century, for the first time, marriage and intimate relations in general also became the objects of scientific study. More and more, Christianity had been involved in these issues, especially during the recent times. Church groups have made concrete efforts in helping marriages and children of divorced parents.


Kelly and Wallerstein state that the church has developed useful intervention models for children in different age groups. Their goal is to enable the child of divorce to affectively and cognitively integrate the impact of the family dissolution, and to minimize or prevent the consolidation of psychopathological response, and to facilitate the childs transition to new family relationships following divorce. (Kelly and Wallerstein, 1977, p.23). Through parental interviews and observations of children, they draw up a divorce-specific diagnostic profile of each child comprising: An abbreviated developmental profile. A focus on the childs response to the parental separation. An evaluation of the childs response to the parental network.


(Cameron, J). The Christian church points to the urgent need of tightening divorce laws to protect people against their own disruptive impulses. The increasing demand for divorce is seen as no more than an illusive search for ever-escaping happiness (Conger, 1997. p. 360). Others have seen divorce as a regrettable but inevitable by-product of the search for individual self-fulfillment, one that is worth its price being paid in the long run. Such professionals often emphasize the resulting poverty of wife and children as a major negative consequence and call for financial protection in this area. (Kalter, 1977, p.


40-51). Church counselors who are faced with a relationship that seems to have foundered must make the difficult decision between trying to rescue the relationship at all cost, versus helping to sever those sinuous bonds and help bury the relationship. Church counselors face their own convictions on value-laden issues with honesty since they will influence the counseling process (Churches and Religion). However, regardless of whether the decision to separate is created by false hopes and illusions or by desperation, it will evoke anxiety, disequilibrium and emotional vulnerability. Divorce often produced complete changes in the peoples material and emotional life space and calls for drastic revision of ones assumptive world. The Christian church recognizes this fact and continues in its relentless efforts at cushioning the effects of this malaise (Anthony, J.


1974). A. Churchs View on Divorce According to the precepts of the church, divorce is considered immoral, because it introduces disorder into the family and into society. This disorder brings grave harm to the deserted spouse, to children traumatized by the separation of their parents and often torn between them, and because of its contagious effect which makes it truly a plague on society".(An ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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