The Mystery Of Marriage A Theology Of The Body And The Sacrament

This remarkable study offers a comprehensive explanation of the Catholic Church’s teaching on the sacrament of marriage. Incorporating the rich insights found in St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Dr. Cahall presents a theology of marriage that incorporates the biblical, systematic, pastoral, and historical traditions which have shaped our understanding of this sacrament.

This unique book will assist those called to marriage to live out the wonderful, beautiful, and challenging mystery of married love by presenting a theology, spirituality, and morality of marriage in a widely accessible level. Dr. Perry Cahall encourages both engaged and married couples to understand the real nature and purpose of marriage as God has created it. He includes insightful "Self-Discovery" discussion questions to help couples process presented information. "Questions That Might Be on Your Mind" will also engage the reader through the "real world" issues couples confront today.

Peter Jeffery explores in depth the Catholic tradition which has shaped our teaching and our living, following two principal themes--marriage as covenant and family as a domestic church. He shows how the family, with all its relationships, is sacramental.

At a time in human history when women and men are more concerned about interpersonal relationships and when there is an extensive questioning of the specific relationship between a woman and a man in marriage, Marriage and Sacrament offers an understanding of how to live out the Christ-meaning and Church-meaning of that relationship so that, by living martially and sacramentally, couples can reveal to the world and to the Church the deeper meaning of all human love. The book examines the relationship among love, marriage, and sacrament; it examines the meanings of the sacrament of marriage, its biblical basis, its history and what happens when it comes to an end; it examines sexual love, indissoluble love, fruitful love, and ecumenical love in relationship to both marriage and sacrament. Marriage and Sacrament is an indispensable resource for pastoral ministers and ministry students as well as all who contemplate or are now partners in marriage.

Much has been written about marriage from the sociological and psychological point of view and as an object of civil and canon law. But in terms of systematic theology this treatment of marriage as a sacrament may very well be unique. Every effort has been made to keep the text from becoming too academic while at the same time providing the average educated reader with a wealth of original insights into the "mystery" of marriage: in creation and as transformed by Christ. Chapters cover sacramental consent, bond, and covenant as well as the quest for the sign. Such thorny problems as the role of faith in the sacrament, marriage with an unbaptized person, the most pressing ecumenical questions and the relationship between the sacrament and contraception are studied in depth. Finally, the "sacrament of family" is treated at some length with an eye to its social and redemptive dimensions.

An internationally respected Roman Catholic leader on the mystery-sacrament of marriageMarriage and the family are at the forefront of the burning questions being debated by civil society and the church today. Cultural changes in our increasingly secularized society have dire consequences in the family sphere, requiring a Christian response that is faithful to the Church's tradition, says Marc Cardinal Ouellet.In Mystery and Sacrament of Love Ouellet clearly expounds a theology of marriage and the Catholic Church's understanding of the sacrament celebrated between spouses and God. Developed with influences from Pope Francis, the theological intuitions of Vatican II, the contributions of Saint John Paul II (the "pope of the family"), and the innovative thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Ouellet's study lays the foundations for a faithful resurgence of well-being for families in our contemporary day and age.

This book is the next volume in Levering’s Engaging Doctrine series. The prior volume of the series examined the doctrine of creation. The present volume examines the purpose of creation: the marriage of God and humans. God created the cosmos for the purpose of the marriage of God and his people—and through his people, the marriage of God and the entire creation. Given that the central meaning or “prime analogate” of marriage is the marriage of God and humankind, the study of human marriage needs to be shaped by this eschatological goal and foregrounded as a dogmatic theme. After a first chapter defending and explaining the biblical witness to the marriage of God and his people, the book explores various themes: marriage as an image of God, original sin as the fall of the primordial marriage, the cross of Jesus Christ and marital self-sacrificial love, the procreative and unitive ends of marriage, marriage as a sacrament, and marriage’s importance for social justice and for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. Along the way, the book provides an introduction to the key biblical, patristic, medieval, modern, and contemporary thinkers and controversies regarding the doctrine of marriage.

Marriage in the Heart and the Mind of the Church is a series of reflections on the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Intended for couples preparing to receive the Sacrament, this guide prepares the couple for the Sacrament of Matrimony and the interior dispositions necessary for marriage. A must read for all couples and a great resource for parishes to use with couples!