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This dissertation examines the relationship between marital satisfaction and family cohesion across three family life spans among evangelicals. Chapter 1 defines the factors involved when studying the social sciences of marriage, parenting, cohesion and adaptability, and family life cycles. Attention is also given to historical research, trends, recent contributions, and theological insights that apply to the aforementioned subjects. Chapter 2 sets a biblical and theological foundation and thereby acts as a guide for defining values and focus for the precedent literature. Specifically, this chapter analyzes the contributions in the fields of marriage, child-rearing, and family development from a social historical perspective. Chapter 3 examines the methodological design for this body of research through four guiding research questions. In addition, the formulations of procedures for gathering research are identified in great detail. Chapter 4 describes the research findings and offers the statistical analysis to show significance in relationships between a number of dependent and independent variables that constitute the marriage and family paradigm. Research questions are interpreted in light of the statistical information and reports are given through tables and figures to display relevant findings. Chapter 5 interprets the data in a conclusive manner. It explains what the significant findings represent for marital satisfaction and the relationship this has with family cohesion, family adaptability, and on the family life cycle. Findings are then applied to a specific ministry setting. For those interested in the fields of education or Christian education, this chapter explores issues related to this study, from which the reader my benefit from further research. Key Words . marriage, adaptability, cohesion, satisfaction, evangelical, family, life cycle, marital happiness, and marital satisfaction.

This study was done to explore how modern Pastoral Care and Counselling models could be in dialogue with some valuable Xhosa traditional practices in the urbanised context around Umtata in the Eastern Cape. The intention is to provide a marriage enrichment programme to the congregants of the Methodist Church in this region. This has been offered in response to increase in the rate of divorce, separation and emotional distress experienced by many couples in the area. Chapter one offers the methodological framework for the entire theoretical and practical study. The second chapter explores various concepts of the family systems theory with particular focus on Murray Bowen's systems theory. This should bring forth a clear understanding of behavioural patterns which manifest in marriage when the system loses equilibrium. Grounded in the family systems theory is the concept of normal family processes. The third chapter looks into the understanding of normal family processes as brought across by various American authors. The chapter takes the interpretation further by looking into normal family processes in the original Xhosa cultural communities. The reason for the exercise is to bring awareness about what is normal before one can address what is abnormal. This is for widening the horizons so that what is culturally normal should not be labelled as abnormal. The fourth chapter prepares groundwork for the establishment of intervention and counselling strategies specifically within the Xhosa communities around Umtata. This chapter is field work done through interviews so as to gain an awareness about what the people of this region presently think, feel and say about marriage and family life experiences. The fifth chapter looks into the minister's uniqueness in marriage enrichment in comparison with his or her colleagues in medical, social work and family therapy or psychotherapy fields. A theological exploration is dealt with in the sixth chapter with a view to contend with biblical principles applicable to marriage. Chapter seven discusses a training model for a lay team of twelve members to promote the concept of the priesthood of all believers. The views of authors like Switzer, Clinebell, Colilns, Herbert Otto and others are consulted and opened to dialogue with Xhosa Traditional practices offered by oral sources. Chapter eight focuses on premarital education. Within this eduGative counselling, a hand-out on marriage contracts is prepared in both English and the vernacular language. Interdisciplinary work has been included through the engagement of resource personnel from the medical, financial and legal fields. Chapter nine actually presents the Marriage Enrichment Programme in a workshop form. Within the programme, theoretical and practical work is done in contextual bible study, communication and conflict resolution exercises as well as conscietisation about valuable Xhosa traditional marriage practices. The contextual model on marriage enrichment is offered to a group of forty-four congregants. The evaluation forms provide a positive result of this marriage enrichment model. The results express a need to address marital problems in our communities. This does give support to the Hypothesis that was tested. Modern pastoral care and counselling models can be adapted to traditional context with positive results. Lay involvement promotes maximum participation of the People of God in care giving. However, further results will be achieved with more workshops or retreats. More effectiveness will also come with the training of more lay teams. This demands large sampling in lay training, more interviewing and more involvement of the rural community elders for more information on traditional practices. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000

M.A. / Marriage is neither a Jewish nor a Christian invention. Both religions have one thing in common: their origin is traced back to the God of the Bible, who is also the Creator of the universe. While Christianity does not hesitate to trace its origins to Judaism, Judaism perceives it as a perversion of its heritage. Christian ethics have a rich Jewish background. Actually, the very founders of Christianity were Jewish. Jesus and Paul were, first and foremost, Jews. The former was neither a Christian nor did he intend to start a new religion apart from the Jewish faith. He only perceived himself as a Jewish revivalist, and the long-awaited Messiah. The latter was a Jew who got converted to Christianity. The first four books of the New Testament are an attempt, by both eyewitnesses and their disciples, to present a record of the words and deeds of the historical Jesus. Paul interprets the God's plans of salvation as fulfilled in the Jesus of Nazareth. This research paper attempts to compare the teachings of both Paul and Jesus on marriage and divorce. Christian marriage is a marriage in which both partners are Christian believers. Jesus' teaching is generally addressed to a homogenous JeWish Christian community, with few excerptions in the Markan and Lukan versions. In view of Christian marriages, the Law of Christ seems to be binding upon both partners. A problem arose when the Gospel crossed the borders of Palestine into the Gentile lands. Paul became the instrument used by God to put the universality of the Gospel into practice. The issue of mixed marriages comes into place in the Pauline community. In such unions, the Law of Christ would be binding on only one partner, namely, the believer. The apostle finds himself now faced with a real life situation in which there is no direct command of the Lord. His churches looked up to him for answers. Like marriage, divorce is neither Christian nor non-Christian, although many scholars would have us think in terms of their being Christian or non-Christian. Between what is ethically right and wrong, is the twighlight zone of the acceptable or the unacceptable. For the Jew, divorce was custom. The Gentile world also had its own rules governing marriages, which were no better than those held by Jews. Jesus (the synoptics) quotes no code of law for or against the practice of divorce. He bases his argument on the natural order of things - that is, God's original plan at creation. Marriage may be perceived as a pre-fall divine institution, and divorce a post-fall divine concession. In speaking about marriage, Jesus speaks in terms of principles: marriage was meant to be a permanent bond. Man's sinfulness necessitated a compromise on the part of God: to allow for divorce. We propose that the synoptics speak about the ideal. The state of affairs which Jesus propagates is not practical, and cannot be fully realised in the present age of fallen man. Conversely, Paul deals with the practical - the realistic as opposed to the ideal. His teaching reflects the problems of applications in a rather heterogeneous context. The whole law of God reflects the relativised will of God. In Christianity, Jesus seems to be the first person to relativise the very Law of God. In order for us to fully comprehend the perfect will of God, we need to look beyond the code of law, to that state of absolute perfection. The state which man cannot attain in this present life, where sin and the devil are still at large. This seems to have been the approach applied by Jesus in answering questions on marriage and divorce. In the whole record of Jesus' ministry, nowhere was a called to resolve a real marital problem. We thus propose that What Jesus he gives is only a theoretical framework which requires further analysis before it can be applied to real life situations. We also propose both Jewish and Gentile ethical principles need to be readjusted and reinterpreted before they can be adopted into Christianity. The socio-historical context of both the writer and readers will play an important role in our quest for the link between the Pauline and synoptic perspectives on marriage and divorce. The gulf between the ideal and the real seems to be as wide as one between justice and mercy. The following questions raise some of the major concerns in this research: Are there any links between Paul and Jesus (synoptics) on marriage and divorce? If Jesus speaks about the ideal in his absolutist attitude, is there any link between the ideal and the real; between principle and practice?

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie proefskrif het ontstaan uit die behoefte aan 'n bruikbare huweliksvoorbereidingsprograrn wat op 'n teologiese praktykteorie gebaseer is. Die proefskrif word in die praktiese teologie gedoen waar die interaksie tussen teorie en praktyk met verwysing na die huwelik bestudeer is. Hieruit is 'n teologiese praktykteorie vir huweliksvoorbereiding opgestel. In die definiering van 'n program vir huweliksvoorbereiding moet die vraag gevra word waarvoor die paartjie voorberei moet word. 'n Ander wyse om die vraag te stel, is bloot dit: Wat is 'n huwelik? Die probleem is dat daar nie huweliksvoorbereidingsprogramme bestaan met 'n teologiese basis wat gebruik kan word in die voorbereiding van paartjies vir hul huwelik nie. Daar is heelwat programme wat met verskillende vraelyste en formules byvoorbeeld kommunikasie kan verbeter; maar daar is nie programme wat geformuleer is vanuit 'n teologie van die huwelik nie. 'n Definisie vir die huwelik is saamgestel uit die beoordeling van bestaande definisies en die analisering van huweliksmodelle en -vorms. Daarna is 'n definisie vir huweliksvoorbereiding geformuleer. Hierdie definisie is saamgestel uit 'n literatuurstudie en evaluering van bestaande definisies en omskrywings en 'n beoordeling van die geskiedenis van huweliksvoorbereiding in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk. Die definisie vir huweliksvoorbereiding word in hoofstukke 4 en 5 verduidelik en in hoofstuk 6 word 'n teologiese praktykteorie geformuleer. In hoofstuk 7 word praktiese riglyne vir die implementering van die program gegee. In die definisie word die noodsaaklikheid van interaktiewe kommunikasie tussen pastor en paartjie verduidelik en die betrokkenheid van die pastor, die gemeente en die kerk by die aanbieding van huweliksvoorbereidingsprograrnme word beklemtoon. Verder plaas die definisie die huwelik binne vier teologiese konsepte, naamlik roeping (die paartjie moet geroepe wees om die ouerhuis te verlaat om in die huweliksverhouding bevestig te word); verbond (die begin van 'n nuwe verhouding); sakrament (die huwelik wat as kerk in die kleine moet funksioneer); en liefdesgemeenskap (die stimulering van die inherente groeipotensiaal van die paartjie). / This thesis originated from the need for a pragmatic pre-marital counselling program based on a theological theory of practice. The research was done in practical theology where the interaction between theological theory and praxis with regard to marital life was studied. Out of this work a theological theory of practice for pre-marital counselling and enrichment was formulated. In defining a program for pre-marital counselling the question is "What to prepare the couple for?'' In other words, the question "What is a marriage?" arises. The problem is that no premarital counselling program based on a sound theological theory of practice (theology of marriage) currently exists that can be used as a program to prepare couples for their marriage. A definition of marriage was compiled from existing definitions and formulations which were analyzed and evaluated in terms of models and forms of marriage. Thereafter a defintion for pre-marital counseling was developed. This defintion was compiled from a study of literature; an evaluating of existing definitions and formulations; and the history of pre-marital counselling in the Dutch Reformed Church. This definition is explained in chapter 4 and 5 in chapter 6 a theological theory of practice is formulated. In chapter 7 a program is presented with practical guidelines for implementation. In the definition the necessity of interaction between pastor and couple is explained as well as the need for the pastor, congregation and the church to participate in adininistering counselling programs. Finally, the definition places marriage in four theological concepts namely, vocation (the calling to leave home and enter a marrital relationship); covenant (commencing a new relationship); sacrament (the marriage as church personified); and community (stimulating the growth potential of the couple). / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Praktiese Teologie)

ABSTRACT MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, AND CHRISTIAN PARENTAL INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES Jennifer Rose Garrison, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. Hal K. Pettegrew The purpose of this study was to describe the perspectives among Christian parents toward marriage and sexuality, to describe the resources and practices utilized by these parents in teaching their children about marriage and sexuality, and to describe to what extent, if any, these parents’ perspectives and teaching practices are influenced by the local church. 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Christian parents having at least one child in the range of kindergarten to sixth grade. Chapter 1 offers a detailed description of the research problem and the purpose of the research. Though traditional forms of marriage and sexuality have long been building blocks of society, current American culture now presents many alternative choices to both marriage and sexuality. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the precedent literature concerning marriage, sexuality, and Christian parental instruction, as well as key cultural trends related to marriage and sexuality, and a review of twelve parental help texts addressing both issues. Chapter 3 presents the research methodology of this study. The qualitative research design consisted of the following steps. First, access was obtained to churches who attended CentriKid Camp on the campus of Campbellsville University during summer 2014. Second, children’s ministry group leaders from attending churches were invited to participate in the study. Personal contact information was gathered from each volunteer. Third, an interview protocol was created, validated through an expert panel, and approved by the Ethics Committee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Fourth, a pilot study was conducted. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Fifth, 28 interviewees were purposefully selected based upon the highest number of volunteers from participating churches. Sixth, a Dissertation Participation Form was gathered from each participant. Seventh, 28 interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded. Types of coding applied to the research included In Vivo and values coding. Eighth, content analysis was completed on the gathered data. Finally, findings were evaluated and conclusions were drawn. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of the research findings. These findings describe the values expressed by Christian parents in regard to the research questions. Chapter 5 presents conclusions drawn from the research. KEYWORDS: Bible, biblical discipleship, biblical teaching, biblical worldview, Christian parenting, church discipleship, church equipping, church influence, cohabitation, comfort measures, culture, discipleship, divorce, gender confusion, homosexuality, life experience, life stage, marriage, marriage education, mass media, mentoring, parental controls, parental instruction, parental responsibility, parental struggle, parental teaching, parental training, parenting, parents, pastor, perspectives, pornography, public school, sexual ethics, sexual morality, sexuality, sexuality education, teaching methods, teaching practices, teaching resources, textual resources, values.

Among other images, Scripture uses marriage as a picture of God's relationship to his people. Scripture also prescribes numerous ways for that people to build their relationship with him. In order to give Christian marriages as many tools as possible for bolstering of the relationship, this dissertation examines narrative, symbol, ritual, and memorials as a selection of Scripture's methods for "heart writing" or relationship building. These methods correspond to various uses of the Hebrew root zakhar, for "remember." Following the examination of Scripture's methods of "heart writing" through the use of narrative, symbol, and ritual, contemporary understandings of the physiological and neurological underpinnings for the deep internalization of relationship. The ideas presented in the first two chapters were explored in an empirical study which found that couples who utilize more narrative, symbols, rituals, and memorials in their marriages tend to also see their marriages as more sacred and experience the manifestation of God within the marriage. Groups were also compared on levels of physiological responsiveness (skin conductance, skin temperature, and interbeat interval) as a measure of emotional engagement during an interview that lead couples in discussion of narratives, symbols, and rituals in their marriages. Husbands in marriages that utilized few narratives, symbols, and rituals were the least emotionally responsive during the interview while wives in the same type of marriage were the most emotionally responsive. This dissertation concludes by translating some of the principles discovered into various methods of writing the marital relationship on the hearts of the individuals to build Christian marriages. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

The Gumuz society in Ethiopia has been neglected and almost forgotten by the previous rulers of Ethiopia. It is not surprising therefore to see that the majority of the population of Ethiopia have no knowledge about the Gumuz society. This society was not exposed to education until the arrival of the missionaries at the end of 1950's. When Christianity was introduced, the Church did not do enough in helping Christians to distinguish between the Gumuz traditional and the Christian marriage practices, the former which denies some male members of the community the possibility of getting married. Marriage is contracted by exchanging girls. Thus, unless a man has a sister to exchange he is not going to get married. There is an assumption that a man may get a girl from one of his extended families, but that is not always possible. He may or may not get a girl. Therefore the man will end up without getting married. The introduction of Christianity made it possible for every member of the Gumuz people to get married by allowing them to marry from the neighbouring tribes. However, it introduced another side effect. Christians were not able to differentiate between the Gumuz traditional and Christian marriage practices. This dissertation studies the traditional and the Christian marriage practices of the Gumuz society and of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (the EECMY). According to the Gumuz society, marriage is believed to be (Okka) God given. To get married is to obey okka, to accept what God has given, and to have as many children as possible in order to increase the population of the Gumuz tribe. Failure to get married is a crime against traditional beliefs and practices. Furthermore, this dissertation provides the way the Gumuz society understands divorce. Among the Gumuz society divorce does not concern only one family. Both family members and extended families are affected. Since marriage is performed as indicated earlier on by exchanging girls, if a person divorces his wife he has to expect that his sister will divorce her husband which will disturb the whole extended family relationships. Realizing the risk, every married persons in the Gumuz society is conscious about divorce. This attitude brings the rate of divorce to a low level. This dissertation sees the need for counselling and appeals for a therapeutic approach by putting emphasis on contextual family therapy, a therapeutic process which is constructed with maximal concern for its relevance to the cultural context in which it occurs. For example, the problems related to exchanging girls, marriage between the Gumuz and the neighbouring tribes, the issue of divorce, and so forth, are not problems which can be discussed only with individuals or a family member, it needs the inclusion of extended families as well as multigenerational processes. This therapeutic process is capable of providing a contextual approach by looking at the system of the family. I recommend the therapists to have a grounding in the general principle of family life and to get familiar with the way families operate as a social system. The dissertation hopes to create awareness among therapists with basic theories of family systems which enable them to get knowledge of a causes for dysfunctional behaviour within the families, and to equip them with therapeutic skill. This is paramount. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This study was designed to investigate two hypotheses. The first was to determine if either an individual's epistemic style or Christian maturity were capable of predicting marital satisfaction among couples where at least one spouse was a church attender. The second was to determine if a matching score between spouses on epistemic style and Christian maturity would be able to predict marital satisfaction among couples where at least one spouse was a church attender. The Global Distress Scale (GDS) of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory was used as the dependent variable. The Psycho-Epistemological Profile (PEP) was used to measure epistemic style while the Shepherd Scale was used to measure Christian maturity.Fifty-two couples where at least one spouse was a church attender ultimately participated in the study. These couples were obtained by randomly contacting churches and soliciting the assistance of church representatives to help elicit participation. Ultimately seven of the churches contacted in this manner participated in the study.The results indicate that only the metaphorical epistemic style was a moderate predictor of marital satisfaction accounting for approximately 4% of the variance. Neither the matching score on epistemic style nor on Christian maturity were able to predict marital satisfaction. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie proefskrif het ontstaan uit die behoefte aan 'n bruikbare huweliksvoorbereidingsprograrn wat op 'n teologiese praktykteorie gebaseer is. Die proefskrif word in die praktiese teologie gedoen waar die interaksie tussen teorie en praktyk met verwysing na die huwelik bestudeer is. Hieruit is 'n teologiese praktykteorie vir huweliksvoorbereiding opgestel. In die definiering van 'n program vir huweliksvoorbereiding moet die vraag gevra word waarvoor die paartjie voorberei moet word. 'n Ander wyse om die vraag te stel, is bloot dit: Wat is 'n huwelik? Die probleem is dat daar nie huweliksvoorbereidingsprogramme bestaan met 'n teologiese basis wat gebruik kan word in die voorbereiding van paartjies vir hul huwelik nie. Daar is heelwat programme wat met verskillende vraelyste en formules byvoorbeeld kommunikasie kan verbeter; maar daar is nie programme wat geformuleer is vanuit 'n teologie van die huwelik nie. 'n Definisie vir die huwelik is saamgestel uit die beoordeling van bestaande definisies en die analisering van huweliksmodelle en -vorms. Daarna is 'n definisie vir huweliksvoorbereiding geformuleer. Hierdie definisie is saamgestel uit 'n literatuurstudie en evaluering van bestaande definisies en omskrywings en 'n beoordeling van die geskiedenis van huweliksvoorbereiding in die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk. Die definisie vir huweliksvoorbereiding word in hoofstukke 4 en 5 verduidelik en in hoofstuk 6 word 'n teologiese praktykteorie geformuleer. In hoofstuk 7 word praktiese riglyne vir die implementering van die program gegee. In die definisie word die noodsaaklikheid van interaktiewe kommunikasie tussen pastor en paartjie verduidelik en die betrokkenheid van die pastor, die gemeente en die kerk by die aanbieding van huweliksvoorbereidingsprograrnme word beklemtoon. Verder plaas die definisie die huwelik binne vier teologiese konsepte, naamlik roeping (die paartjie moet geroepe wees om die ouerhuis te verlaat om in die huweliksverhouding bevestig te word); verbond (die begin van 'n nuwe verhouding); sakrament (die huwelik wat as kerk in die kleine moet funksioneer); en liefdesgemeenskap (die stimulering van die inherente groeipotensiaal van die paartjie). / This thesis originated from the need for a pragmatic pre-marital counselling program based on a theological theory of practice. The research was done in practical theology where the interaction between theological theory and praxis with regard to marital life was studied. Out of this work a theological theory of practice for pre-marital counselling and enrichment was formulated. In defining a program for pre-marital counselling the question is "What to prepare the couple for?'' In other words, the question "What is a marriage?" arises. The problem is that no premarital counselling program based on a sound theological theory of practice (theology of marriage) currently exists that can be used as a program to prepare couples for their marriage. A definition of marriage was compiled from existing definitions and formulations which were analyzed and evaluated in terms of models and forms of marriage. Thereafter a defintion for pre-marital counseling was developed. This defintion was compiled from a study of literature; an evaluating of existing definitions and formulations; and the history of pre-marital counselling in the Dutch Reformed Church. This definition is explained in chapter 4 and 5 in chapter 6 a theological theory of practice is formulated. In chapter 7 a program is presented with practical guidelines for implementation. In the definition the necessity of interaction between pastor and couple is explained as well as the need for the pastor, congregation and the church to participate in adininistering counselling programs. Finally, the definition places marriage in four theological concepts namely, vocation (the calling to leave home and enter a marrital relationship); covenant (commencing a new relationship); sacrament (the marriage as church personified); and community (stimulating the growth potential of the couple). / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. D. (Praktiese Teologie)