Session 6: The Tale of Two Views

God’s definition of marriage and the social definition of marriage actually support each other! It is in the view of marriage where disagreement arises, and this lesson compares two competing perspectives of marriage in today’s culture.

The “old” view of marriage sees this establishment as an actual, comprehensive union, not just a metaphorical relationship. Also called the “conjugal view”, this stance understands marriage to be an ongoing arrangement of full oneness. The marriage union connects a biological function with new life and new purpose for the marriage and orients a couple to each other and to any child they produce.  This view has been universally accepted for thousands of years of human history, but in the modern age of redefinition, the very word “marriage” is losing its clarity.

The “revisionist” view of marriage sees marriage as a malleable arrangement in which there are evolving moral and sexual norms. In this view, relational oneness is replaced by relational intensity and neither the kind of sex nor its result is important. The revisionist view separates marriage from procreation & parenting and reduces marriage to merely an affirmation of emotional commitment.

The ramifications of these two views are immense, and understanding where the two views lead is absolutely essential for this debate.

Resources:

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