Augustine on Marriage
I recently read an interesting piece by Saint Augustine. While many have enjoyed his Confessions and The City of God (two literary masterpieces), he wrote on various and sundry other topics. This particular piece I read is entitled "On the Good of Marriage." In it, Augustine is apparently arguing a group of people who had been arguing against marriage. Well, I quickly discovered that Augustine had some very interesting positions with regard to marriage. At first, I found myself disagreeing with him, but after a careful reading of his positions, I think I agree with some of what he says. He makes three important points, which are the keys to his understanding of marriage and in turn of sex.
They are as follows:The purpose of marriage is the begetting of children.
He writes:
"If, therefore, even they who are united in marriage only for the purpose of begetting, for which purpose marriage was instituted..."
And, again:
"Marriage itself indeed in all nations is for the same cause of beggeting sons, and of what character so ever these may be afterward, yet was marriage for this purpose instituted, that they may be born in due and honest order."
So, he is arguing that marriage was made for the particular reason of begetting children. He even makes reference to the creation mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply."
Additionally, he makes a similar argument about sex in marriage. There is only one legitimate reason for sexual intercourse in marriage, that is making babies. If you are having sex in marriage without the motivation of begetting children, then you are not following God's proscribed order. While sex for other reasons (I guess he means pleasure) is not totally wrong, it is a missing of the mark in some way. It is not aiming at God's best. It is good (for it is no sin in his eyes), but it is not best (on a side note, this seems odd coming from Augustine since I think he would say that anything not focused on and aiming for God's best, no matter how good it is, is in some form sin).
He writes:
"For sexual intercourse for begetting is free from blame, and itself is alone worthy of marriage. But that which goes beyond this necessity, no longer follows reason, but lust. And yet it pertains to the character of marriage, not to exact this, but to yield it to the partner, lest by fornication the other sin damnably."
Hold up, JENNA!!!! He just said that sex for pleasure is not good. Seems a tad problematic when the Bible has a book all about that, Sing of Solomon.
Ok, so far, we have two things that I strongly disagree with. This is where he saves himself. He ends with stating that marriage can build faith. Unfortunately, he doesn't go far enough. He simply says that husbands and wives need to be faithful to one another.
He writes:
"All these are goods, on account of which marriage is good: offspring, faith, sacrament."
He fails to make the connecion that marriage, by teaching us to be faithful to one another, it can teach us how to be faithful to God.
Anyway, just wanted to share with you this intriguing piece and see what you think about it.
They are as follows:The purpose of marriage is the begetting of children.
He writes:
"If, therefore, even they who are united in marriage only for the purpose of begetting, for which purpose marriage was instituted..."
And, again:
"Marriage itself indeed in all nations is for the same cause of beggeting sons, and of what character so ever these may be afterward, yet was marriage for this purpose instituted, that they may be born in due and honest order."
So, he is arguing that marriage was made for the particular reason of begetting children. He even makes reference to the creation mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply."
Additionally, he makes a similar argument about sex in marriage. There is only one legitimate reason for sexual intercourse in marriage, that is making babies. If you are having sex in marriage without the motivation of begetting children, then you are not following God's proscribed order. While sex for other reasons (I guess he means pleasure) is not totally wrong, it is a missing of the mark in some way. It is not aiming at God's best. It is good (for it is no sin in his eyes), but it is not best (on a side note, this seems odd coming from Augustine since I think he would say that anything not focused on and aiming for God's best, no matter how good it is, is in some form sin).
He writes:
"For sexual intercourse for begetting is free from blame, and itself is alone worthy of marriage. But that which goes beyond this necessity, no longer follows reason, but lust. And yet it pertains to the character of marriage, not to exact this, but to yield it to the partner, lest by fornication the other sin damnably."
Hold up, JENNA!!!! He just said that sex for pleasure is not good. Seems a tad problematic when the Bible has a book all about that, Sing of Solomon.
Ok, so far, we have two things that I strongly disagree with. This is where he saves himself. He ends with stating that marriage can build faith. Unfortunately, he doesn't go far enough. He simply says that husbands and wives need to be faithful to one another.
He writes:
"All these are goods, on account of which marriage is good: offspring, faith, sacrament."
He fails to make the connecion that marriage, by teaching us to be faithful to one another, it can teach us how to be faithful to God.
Anyway, just wanted to share with you this intriguing piece and see what you think about it.
posted by Michael D. Estes at 2:19 PM
5 Comments:
I wonder if these particular quotes were considered in formulating the Roman Catholic Church's prohibition of contraception, stating that "each and every act must be equally open to the possibility of children." Marriage being mentioned as a sacrament is classically RCC, and so if Augustine was the first one to formulate that hypothesis.
I def. would not agree that sex with ones wife (if not intent on 'baby-making') is sinful lust. Also, Paul states to get married so that you won't burn in passion (lust) for each other.
Aaaaaaaaamen!
One helpful tidbit of info for figuring out Augustine's stance is his personal background. In his "Confessions," he details that his life pre-conversion was plagued with sexual sin, and so my personal opinion is that he allowed his personal experience with illicit sex to color his understanding of sex as a whole.
Drew,
I knew about Augustine's struggle with sexual sin. I just think it is funny that he would make a statement like this: "Whether, therefore, without intercourse, in some other way, had they not sinned, they would have had sons, from the gift of the Almighty Creator...Who was able to bestow on bees a progeny without sexual intercourse," and "But I am aware of some that murmur: What, say they, if all men should abstain from all sexual intercourse, whence will the human race exist? Would that all would this, only in 'charity out of a pure heart, and good conscience, and faith unfeigned;' much more speedily would the City of God be filled, and the end of the world hastened." The latter statement is odd considering it came from a man many believe to be hardcore predestinarian.
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