We will make it our purpose of this thesis to approach Christian marriage from a two-fold standpoint; we will search for the New Testament concept of marriage, unhampered by set theological patterns of thought; we will approach it psychologically.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität zu Frankfurt am Main, 1971. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-203).

Lietuvoje vis dažniau tenka išgirsti grėsmingai augančius skyrybų skaičius, taip pat drauge gyvenančių bet nesituokiančių porų skaičių, aktyvų paauglių lytinį gyvenimą bei kitas problemas. Galima daryti prielaidą, kad tokią situaciją lemia menka žmonių moralę, gausiai paplitęs laisvamaniškas požiūris. Problema: Rengimas santuokai ir dorovinis – moralinis ugdymas šeimose bei visuomenėje nepakankamas. Pagrindiniai šio ugdymo trūkumo požymiai gausios skyrybos, kohabitacinės poros, anksti pradedamas paauglių lytinis gyvenimas, jaunuolių nesugebėjimas sukurti tvirtos santuokos. Darbo objektas. Rengimo santuokai galimybės. Darbo tikslas. Atskleisti mokinių rengimo santuokai galimybes bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Apibūdinti santuokos sampratą; 2. Išgryninti rengimo santuokai principus; 3. Aprašyti šeimos ir mokyklos vaidmenį ruošiant jaunimą santuokai; 4. Atskleisti rengimo santuokai galimybes bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Tyrimo metodologija. Darbe remtasi krikščioniškąja antropologija, grindžiančia žmogaus kūniškojo ir dvasinio pradų nedalomumą, taip pat S. Šalkauskio lytinio ugdymo teorija. Tyrimo metodai: literatūros analizė; kokybinis (individualaus interviu) tyrimas, anketinė apklausa; turinio (content) analizės metodas. Svarbiausios išvados. 1. Santuokos svarbumą pripažįsta valstybė ir Bažnyčia. Santuoką gali sudaryti tik brandūs asmenys, nes santuoka visų pirma yra įsipareigojimas. 2. Rengimo santuokai principas – brandžios asmenybės ugdymas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The rising number of divorcing and not married couples, active sexual life of teenagers, is the problems that Lithuania faces nowadays. We can make an assumption that these problems occur from low moral virtues. Problem: the preparation for marriage and moral education is not sufficient. The main prove of this problem is increasing number of divorces, incapability to create a strong family. The object of the research: the possibility of preparation for marriage. The aim of the research: to reveal the possibility of students’ preparation for marriage in secondary school. The objectives of the research: 1. To define the conception of marriage; 2. To clear the principles of marriage preparation; 3. To describe the role of family and school preparing teenagers to marriage; 4.To reveal the possibility of students’ preparation for marriage in secondary school. The methodology of research: the research is based on Christian anthropology that confirms the indivisibility of human’s spiritual and carnal sides, also the theory of sex education of S. Šalkauskas. The methods of the research: the analysis of literature, individual interview, request and content analysis. Conclusions: 1. The importance of marriage is acknowledge the government and the church; Marriage can be held only between matured persons, because it is a commitment first. 2. The principle of preparing marriage is educating a matured personality. 3. The role of family and school preparing young people for marriage is... [to full text]

The problem of this study was the negative or positive effects of a partially structured Christian marriage enrichment weekend upon marital communication, marital adjustment, and purpose in life. The results indicated that on all four tests both groups improved significantly over a two-month period but not over a one-week period. The general conclusions to be drawn are two-fold. First, a partially structured Christian marriage enrichment weekend, namely Enjoying Marriage, will probably help a couple improve in communication, adjustment, and purpose in life. Second, only on adjustment and purpose in life can one say that such improvement is based specifically upon the content of the weekend. The reason for this is that a weekend retreat group who received no treatment on marriage also improved in communication and on one specific type of marital adjustment as measured by the Polyfactor Sentence Completion Survey.

Vatican II provided the Catholic Church with an opportunity for deep reflection and to align its theological teachings with modern times. This reflection resulted in a resurgence of the importance of Christian marriage and family living. Beyond Vatican II, the Christian family has been described as a ‘domestic’ church. This description defines the family founded on marriage as a cornerstone for the church and society. The Church has realised that if she has to succeed in her mission of evangelisation, she needs to strengthen the families founded on the sacrament of marriage and also to take care of broken families. The theme of a ‘domestic church’ was further explored and discussed in the 1994 Special Synod for the Bishops of Africa. This synod strongly used the image of the family as an effective tool for evangelisation in Africa. The rationale for this emphasis was that the institution of the family founded on marriage is held in high esteem in Africa and it is one of the most important custodians of cultural values. This institution, the bishops argued, can now be used as a custodian for Christian values. Hence, the family founded on marriage will become a school where these values are cherished and taught to offspring. The family founded on marriage is celebrated across the global cultural spectrum. It is through the family that the age old wisdom of ancestors is propagated. This ensures the survival and the development of the different communities. Communities develop because they are built upon strong ethical, religious and cultural values which are safeguarded by the institution of the family founded on marriage. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is the custodian of life. Marriage is about life. Hence, the respect of human life is safeguarded by the family. The collapse of such a pivotal institution has serious implications for the community. The institution of the family founded on marriage is presented in this thesis as a turn around strategy to the challenge of moral permissiveness in our country. It is a commonly accepted theory that development can only take place where there is stability. The lack of infrastructural development in most African countries is due to lack of political stability. Instability often results in chaos and anarchy. Marriage promises stability which is rooted in the self giving of the couples. Such an environment becomes conducive for human life to be propagated, nurtured and developed. It further creates a sense of being loved and belonging to the child. These qualities are essential for proper and integral human development. Furthermore, marriage ties together the goals of parenting, namely, procreation and parenthood and they are inseparable. They prepare children for social integration.The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the institution of the family founded on marriage can help us develop a coherent moral vision in South Africa. This turn around strategy is proposed by systematically analysing the causes and consequences of family breakdown. The thesis establishes that the institution of the family founded on marriage is undergoing a crisis. This crisis manifests itself through single-parenthood, high rate of divorce, fatherlessness, etc. The consequences of this crisis are not favourable for individuals and the society. / Philosophy & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Theological ethics)

The Thesis deals with the historical development of Christian marriage and conversion from the original family ritual to the public ceremony, from secular (state) rituals to the church type of marriage. It describes the beginning of the wedding liturgy at the West and the East. The first part of Thesis deals, except the history of wedding ritual, also with the theology of marriage with selected representatives of the West and the East {--} the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Byzantine type. The wedding ceremonies of both churches are described in detail in other parts of the Thesis. They are subsequently compared with a reference to the similar elements and defining the specific parts. The comparison shows that the substantial part of the Roman Catholic ceremony is the bride´s and groom´s wedding vow. The priest is the privileged witness representing the church and he only accepts the vow. Whereas at the Orthodox Church of Byzantine type the marriage is concluded by priest´s blessing and coronation. In the final part the author thinks about the possible suggestion of a ceremony that would include the liturgy elements from both selected churches.

Vatican II provided the Catholic Church with an opportunity for deep reflection and to align its theological teachings with modern times. This reflection resulted in a resurgence of the importance of Christian marriage and family living. Beyond Vatican II, the Christian family has been described as a ‘domestic’ church. This description defines the family founded on marriage as a cornerstone for the church and society. The Church has realised that if she has to succeed in her mission of evangelisation, she needs to strengthen the families founded on the sacrament of marriage and also to take care of broken families. The theme of a ‘domestic church’ was further explored and discussed in the 1994 Special Synod for the Bishops of Africa. This synod strongly used the image of the family as an effective tool for evangelisation in Africa. The rationale for this emphasis was that the institution of the family founded on marriage is held in high esteem in Africa and it is one of the most important custodians of cultural values. This institution, the bishops argued, can now be used as a custodian for Christian values. Hence, the family founded on marriage will become a school where these values are cherished and taught to offspring. The family founded on marriage is celebrated across the global cultural spectrum. It is through the family that the age old wisdom of ancestors is propagated. This ensures the survival and the development of the different communities. Communities develop because they are built upon strong ethical, religious and cultural values which are safeguarded by the institution of the family founded on marriage. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is the custodian of life. Marriage is about life. Hence, the respect of human life is safeguarded by the family. The collapse of such a pivotal institution has serious implications for the community. The institution of the family founded on marriage is presented in this thesis as a turn around strategy to the challenge of moral permissiveness in our country. It is a commonly accepted theory that development can only take place where there is stability. The lack of infrastructural development in most African countries is due to lack of political stability. Instability often results in chaos and anarchy. Marriage promises stability which is rooted in the self giving of the couples. Such an environment becomes conducive for human life to be propagated, nurtured and developed. It further creates a sense of being loved and belonging to the child. These qualities are essential for proper and integral human development. Furthermore, marriage ties together the goals of parenting, namely, procreation and parenthood and they are inseparable. They prepare children for social integration.The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the institution of the family founded on marriage can help us develop a coherent moral vision in South Africa. This turn around strategy is proposed by systematically analysing the causes and consequences of family breakdown. The thesis establishes that the institution of the family founded on marriage is undergoing a crisis. This crisis manifests itself through single-parenthood, high rate of divorce, fatherlessness, etc. The consequences of this crisis are not favourable for individuals and the society. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Theological ethics)

The thesis focuses on the Ndau people of Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. Contact with Westerners brought significant changes to their marriage practices. South Africa General Mission (SAGM) missionaries required Ndau people to conduct church (“white”) weddings for their marriages to be recognised by the church. This has caused a problem whereby Ndau Christians marry traditionally/customarily and yet still have to conduct church weddings. The church has not rethought its position on the necessity for having this duplication of marriages. The thesis sought to develop an in-depth understanding of Ndau people’s perceptions and experiences on the connection between and the necessity for both marriages in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. Data regarding Ndau people’s understanding of marriage practices was collected using in-depth semi-structured and focus group interviews. Following a qualitative research design, the study used the phenomenological approach to collect data and postcolonialism as the research paradigm. Using these, twenty individual and five focus group interviews were conducted. Seven themes emerged from the data. These covered marriage practices of the Ndau, the most preferred way of marriage, various reasons for having church weddings, perceived relationship between the two marriages, different views on the sufficiency of traditional marriages, thoughts on the expenses of church weddings, and how participants married and reasons thereof. The findings showed that Ndau Christians conduct church weddings for several reasons. These are because they:  want to celebrate their marriages  desire God’s blessings when they convert to Christianity. It is regarded as God’s biblical requirement  understand it as a church requirement/rule  get church teaching that encourage church weddings  need recognition and acceptance in the church as well as general social recognition  associate Christianity with Westernisation vi  regard it as a deterrent to unfaithfulness and polygyny  regard church weddings as having wider official recognition than traditional marriages and  want associated material advantages. The conclusion states that there is neither a theological nor a biblical basis for requiring Ndau Christians to have church weddings. Using a postcolonial hybrid approach, the thesis suggests a merging of the two marriages into one ceremony. More recommendations were given and the church was challenged to be more responsive to its people’s struggles. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)