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The article addresses the main factors in contracting a Christian marriage. It shows the origins of the different valuation of marital consent and priestly blessing, based on the conditionality of the Western and Eastern Christian traditions. In the Latin Church, the prevailing doctrine has always been that marriage is contracted by the consent of the betrothed and that the two confer the sacrament on each other. In the Eastern tradition, the minister of the marriage is the priest who performs the sacred rite. Proceeding from the traditional doctrine of the indissolubility of contract and sacrament and from the terminological distinction between the essential nuptial act, which is the consent to marriage, and the essential liturgical rite with the priestly blessing, it is concluded that the priestly blessing in the Eastern Churches only has the character of an essential rite. When positive human law conflicts with natural law due to unforeseen circumstances, natural law prevails. In this case, the marriage would be valid even without the priestly blessing as an essential rite. The ministers of the sacrament of matrimony are the spouses themselves in both the ordinary and extraordinary forms of marriage. The priest who blesses the newlyweds in the Eastern Churches, where a sacred rite is required for validity, can thus be considered a minister of the sacrament in the liturgical sense.

The aim of this paper is to examine marriage by capture from the perspective of Christian marriage so that, in the end, the church, government, and all levels of society can determine the correct attitude towards catch marriage. This paper uses a qualitative method with data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Sampling used purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Capture marriage, one of the marriage methods in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, is a tradition of kidnapping women to make her a bride. This has been practiced by noble descendants for prestige purposes since the era of kingdom rule in Sumba. The results obtained show that marriage by capture has experienced a shift in meaning, where it was once done for prestige and by mutual consent, but now it is an act of violence and crime that is very detrimental and even demeaning to women. In the perspective of Christian marriage, the capture of marriage is an act that opposes the Word of God because marriage should be based on love. The government, churches, non-governmental organizations, traditional leaders, and community leaders have expressed their rejection of marriage by capture. Evidence of this rejection is the existence of policies or regulations and a number of other programs to overcome and eliminate capture marriage. However, so far, the government, churches, non-governmental organizations, traditional leaders, and community leaders have not really implemented every existing regulation.

This article asks why a hitherto perceived sweet, glowing, and romantic marital relationship between a Christian husband and a Christian wife can suddenly turn sour or bitter. Sometimes such an expected sweet and romantic relationship goes into limbo and ends up in dissatisfaction, disappointment, disenfranchisement, physical and emotional abuse, and, in a worse scenario, separation and, sometimes, divorce because of the activities of certain intruders. This article contends that certain intruders are encroaching on the sustainability of the Christian marital relationship. It argues that many of these intruders will be greatly minimised where pastoral caregivers provide space by placing a great premium on effective premarital counselling, and more importantly, post-marital counselling within at least the first two years of marriage. It concludes that when this missing gap is appropriately filled in, it will facilitate the commitment of the couple to each other and motivate a progressive dedication to faith by both partners. In this way, a sustainable and harmonious Christian marital relationship can be achieved, which will enhance the quality of the spiritual health of the Christian community with a spill-over to the general society.

In Christianity, polygamy is rejected because the essence of Christian marriage is monogamy, which is sacred and holy because a holy God formed it. This study aims to describe the practice of polygamy that occurs in Christian families in Haumeni Village. The method used in this research was a qualitative approach; the sampling technique was purposive sampling, and in-depth interviews were the data collection techniques. The results showed that the subject's polygamous factors were heredity, economic factors, and the feelings of the husband, who had changed. The impact of polygamy can be seen in the emotions, psychological conditions, differences in treatment and closed social relationships felt by the wives. The first wife experiences heartache, disappointment, and loneliness because the husband tends to love and care more for the second wife, who is able to give him offspring and fulfill his husband's wishes.Meanwhile, the impact experienced by the second wife is that she does not have a clear legal status from the government or the church. In addition, the subject also did not involve the family and the church in their actions of polygamy. Before becoming a church member, the church has not maximally handled the issue of polygamy, which is an old tradition of the local community. Abstrak: Dalam perspektif Kristen praktik poligami ditolak karena hakikat pernikahan Kristen adalah monogami yang sakral dan kudus sebab dibentuk oleh Allah yang Kudus. Penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan praktik poligami yang terjadi dalam keluarga Kristen di Desa Haumeni. Metode dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kualitatif dan teknik samplingnya adalah purposive sampling. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara mendalam. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa faktor berpoligami subjek adalah faktor keturunan, faktor ekonomi dan perasaan suami yang telah berubah. Adapun dampak praktik poligami terlihat dari perasaan, kondisi psikologis, perbedaan perlakuan dan hubungan sosial yang tertutup sangat dirasakan oleh para istri. Istri pertama mengalami sakit hati, kecewa dan kesepiaan karena suami cenderung lebih menyayangi dan perhatian pada istri kedua yang mampu memberinya keturunan dan memenuhi keinginan suami. Sedangkan dampak yang dialami oleh istri kedua adalah tidak memiliki status yang jelas secara hukum pemerintah maupun gereja. Selain itu, subjek juga tidak melibatkan keluarga dan gereja dalam tindakannya melakukan poligami. Gereja belum maksimal menangani persoalan poligami yang merupakan tradisi lama masyarakat setempat sebelum menjadi anggota gereja.

The writing of this article is motivated by the author's struggles regarding the failure of the concept of compatible marriage, in the definition of “one faith”, to maintain a Christian marriage. Not a few Christian families whose household ends in divorce, even though it was built on the basis of one faith or one religion. This situation motivates the writer to formulate another parameter of compatible marriage, besides “one faith”. To solve this problem, the author reinterprets the text of 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, in a tradition-critical approach, namely the endogamy tradition. In this paper, the author finds that in addition to spiritual or faith compatibility, compatible marriage also includes ethnic equivalence, ethical references, and socio-political paradigms. The integration of these four aspects will construct the concept of a compatible marriage and become an evaluative material for Christian marriage. Abstrak: Penulisan artikel ini dilatarbelakangi oleh pergumulan penulis mengenai kegagalan konsep pernikahan yang sepadan dalam definisi “satu iman”, untuk mempertahankan pernikahan Kristen. Tidak sedikit keluarga Kristen yang rumah tangganya berakhir dengan perceraian, padahal dibangun di atas dasar satu iman atau satu agama. Situasi ini memotivasi penulis untuk merumuskan parameter lain dari pernikahan yang sepadan, selain satu iman. Untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini, penulis melakukan reinterpretasi terhadap teks 2 Korintus 6:14-7:1, dalam pendekatan kritik tradisi, yakni tradisi endogami. Dalam tulisan ini, penulis menemukan bahwa selain kesejajaran spiritual atau iman, kesepadanan dalam pernikahan juga mencakup kesepadanan etnis, referensi etis dan paradigma sosio-politis. Integrasi dari keempat aspek ini akan mengonstruksi konsep pernikahan yang sepadan serta menjadi bahan evaluatif bagi pernikahan Kristen.

According to the doctrine in Christianity and the church in West Sulawesi, especially in Kalumpang and Bonehau areas, men and women who are legally married have the right to live together in a home. However, in the context of the tradition of the Tanalotong tribal community in West Sulawesi, there was still a traditional procession that must be followed by married couples. The couple would be separated for a certain period of time after the wedding party is over. This traditional procession is called Ma’parappo. The researcher used a qualitative approach to present a theological interpretation of the implementation of the Ma’parappo tradition in Christian marriage. Therefore, this type of research is theological and ethnographic. Based on this interpretation, the researcher concluded that theologically, the Ma’parappo tradition is a traditional procession that is loaded with values and norms that govern the integrity of a marriage. This tradition is not a cultural ritual that goes against the teachings of the Bible. Therefore, Christians and churches in Kalumpang and Bonehau should not be antipathetic to the implementation of Ma’parappo in marriage. Contribution: This study also aims to reveal the positive values contained in the marriage tradition of the Tanalotong tribe which can benefit religion and churches in West Sulawesi, especially in Bonehau and Kalumpang sub-districts. Therefore, the findings of this article can contribute to the development of the encounter between Christianity and the culture of the Tanalotong tribe.

Volunteering is an organized service for people and social groups in need, characterized by selflessness, voluntariness, and regularity. The roots of modern volunteering should be sought in various forms of social commitment and charity activities already existing in the circle of Christian culture in antiquity. Contemporary volunteering is one of the important segments of civil society, which is why it develops well in democratic countries. In totalitarian states, it has no raison d’être, because the necessary condition for its development is the social space of freedom. The aim of this work is to seek an answer to the question: how can the involvement of young people in volunteering contribute to their good preparation for life in a Christian marriage and family? The article is theoretical and falls within the field of practical theology. The author will use the method of secondary analysis of available materials in the fields of philosophy, social sciences, and Catholic theology in order to show the relationship between the involvement of young people in volunteering and good preparation for future tasks of Christian spouses and parents. The starting point of the search will be a presentation of the current condition of marriages and families in Europe. The next step in the research process will be the presentation of the review-focused research methodology, and in the final part of the article, the advantages of volunteering as an instrument of preparing young people to take up the future tasks of spouses and parents will be emphasized.

Abstract. This paper aimed to determine the theological position of Christians towards the tradition of kawin tangkap (bride kidnapping or bridenapping) on Sumba Island. Kawin tangkap is a tradition of kidnapping woman to make her a bride. The tradition has become a social problem for the government and society, especially the Sumbanese women. Through hermeneutic approach, this research analyzes the tradition of kawin tangkap in Marapu’s perspective to determine the proper outlook of the church. The conceptual framework in the analysis was the concept of Christian marriage and the story of abducted wives in Judges 21. Through this analysis it was found that kawin tangkap is a tradition that opposes the Bible's teachings on marriage, a sign of spiritual decline, and the violence against women. Abstrak. Tulisan ini bertujuan menentukan sikap teologis orang Kristen terhadap tradisi kawin tangkap di Pulau Sumba. Kawin tangkap adalah tradisi penculikan perempuan untuk dijadikan isteri. Tradisi kawin tangkap menjadi masalah sosial yang meresahkan pemerintah dan masyarakat, khususnya kaum perempuan. Melalui pendekatan hermeneutis penelitian ini menganalisis tradisi kawin tangkap dalam perspektif Marapu untuk menentukan sikap gereja. Bingkai konseptual dalam analisis adalah konsep perkawinan dalam perspektif Kristen dan kisah penangkapan perempuan untuk dikawini dalam Hakim-hakim 21. Melaluinya ditemukan bahwa kawin tangkap adalah tradisi yang menentang ajaran Alkitab tentang perkawinan, tanda kemerosotan spiritual, dan merendahkan martabat perempuan.

Abstract. This study describes the marriage legality between Christian and non-Christian in Corinth. The text that is used as a focus for interpretation is 1 Corinthians 7:12-16, by using the socio-historical criticism. The text was chosen because it talked about the marriage of different beliefs that took place in the City of Corinth. To interpret text by the socio-historical criticism, things to consider are: First, the background of the social and historical context and mixed marriage in Corinth. Second, the problem of holiness and divorce in marriage in Corinth. Based the study, it can be explained that Paul's understanding of the sanctity of Christian marriage is a way to make a border between holiness and unholiness in pluralistic Corinthian society. Abstrak. Tulisan ini menguraikan persoalan keabsahan pernikahan antara orang Kristen dan bukan Kristen di Kota Korintus. Fokus teks yang menjadi acuan penafsiran adalah 1 Korintus 7:12-16, dengan menggunakan pendekatan tafsir sosio-historis. Teks tersebut dipilih karena berbicara menyangkut pernikahan berbeda keyakinan yang terjadi di Kota Korintus. Untuk menafsirkan teks dengan sosio-historis, maka hal yang diperhatikan adalah latar belakang konteks sosial-historis dan pernikahan campuran di Korintus, serta masalah kekudusan dan perceraian dalam pernikahan di Korintus. Berdasarkan hasil studi, maka dapat dijelaskan bahwa pemahaman Paulus tentang kudusnya pernikahan Kristen adalah cara menarik batas antara kudus dan cemar dalam masyarakat Korintus yang majemuk.

Payment of bride price is a popular tradition in Nigeria as in most parts of Africa. However, in Nigeria, the practice has virtually lost its traditional purpose of marriage validation and honouring because of the commercialisation by many parents. For this reason, some critics have called for a cancellation of the custom, as it has turned women to commodities to be bought and sold. This article examined the purpose of bride price in the traditional African setting, the changes that have crept into the practice over time, and the desirability or non-desirability of bride price payment for Christians in Nigeria. The article employed the exegetical method for the study of the relevant texts and, using the descriptive approach, it gathered and utilised material relevant for bride price payment, as practised in Nigeria. The author found that payment of bride price is not prohibited in the Bible. In the traditional African society, bride price served mainly as the legal exchange that validated marriage. It was discovered that charging exorbitant bride prices by Nigerian parents obliterated the original purpose of the custom. Commercialisation of bride price in this way is partially responsible for the increasing rate of late marriages and non-marriages amongst Christians. The inability to pay high bride prices had created a situation whereby young Christian men and women cohabit without legally getting married. Exorbitant bride price sometimes leads to domestic violence against women. It is for these reasons that some have considered payment of bride price unchristian, whilst others have called for its abolishment. Nevertheless, this study concluded that as payment of bride price is not prohibited in the Bible, it is not wrong for Christians to pay and receive bride prices. Moreover, if its traditional purpose is adhered to, payment of bride price need not cause women abuse. Its cancellation would amount to doing away with the original purpose of the practice, particularly the legitimisation and honouring of marriage. Therefore, rather than abolishing bride price, one would call for a return to its original purpose. More than recognising the value of bride price, the church in Nigeria has the responsibility to educate Christian parents on the adverse implications of charging exorbitant bride prices. Contribution: This article is a contribution in ethics of Christian marriage. It is relevant for educating Nigerian Christian parents against charging excessive bride prices.

This article argues that the contemporary mainline understanding of marriage (theology of marriage), especially in the local South African denominational context, is not ‘based on the Bible’, but rather on a cultural construct. Moreover, this construct is not based on Judeo-Christian values and norms; it is the result of early Christianity’s enculturation into the world of the Roman Empire. It is also argued that a definition of Christian marriage as being an institution originated by God, consisting of a monogamous and lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, cannot be based on the Bible. The reason for this is that the institution of marriage in ancient times was something totally different from what we understand today, the fact that the Bible also gives evidence of different understandings (forms) of marriage from the time of the patriarchs up to the 2nd century, and that Jesus, Paul and the Church Fathers preferred celibacy to marriage. Contribution: This article aim to contribute to the current discussion, especially in the local South African denominational context, on the institution of marriage as being ‘biblical’, and its relationship to same sex-relations being typified as marriages.

The Church’s care is manifested in the care of good condition of Christian marriages constituting the basis of the family. In its regulations, it not only puts various requirements to marriage candidates, but also creates natural environment that preserves it and makes that people can prepare for life. In accordance with John Paul II, the preparation includes three main stages, remote, proximate and immediate preparation. Remote preparation begins in early childhood, in that wise family training which leads children to discover themselves as being endowed with a rich and complex psychology and with a particular personality with its own strengths and weaknesses. It is implemented in various places (e.g. parish, school) and various forms (lectures, exercises) prepare for a mature marriage decision. Church documents take into account the variety of situations in which those preparing for marriage find themselves. At various levels (universal, particular or diocesan church) issued regulations systematize the stage of preparation for marriage. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to regulations related to proximal preparation for Christian marriage at all three levels.

This article is devoted to the question concerning the conceptualization of power and its religious basis in pre-modern societies, carried out through a study of the inauguration rituals – especially the marriage – that mark not only the instigation of the power of the ruler but also suggests its religious basis, conceptualization and justification. It is grounded on source material from Byzantium and its legacy in the countries of South-Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis has shown the woman as legitimating power in the case of royalty in connection with its correspondence to marriage. The legitimation and confirmation of the kingship in some pagan cultures passed through a hierogamy, conceived as a unity with the universal harmony in the image of a chthonic goddess. From the Christian point of view the relations between the royal bride and the bridegroom was under the archetypal model of the relation of Jesus Christ to His Church. He (Christ and the christian ruler) became a priest and king of the order of Melchisedek. That is why the rite of passage to Kingship corresponds to that of marriage, instituted by Lord Jesus Christ under the model of His own relation to the Church.