The first purpose of marriage is the procreation of children. This is the teaching of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. What’s more, children are a blessing and a joy! Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior…
“From the Beginning”: God’s Design for Marriage (10th Anniversary Edition)
The Story Behind the Statement The legal legitimation of same-sex marriage in June 2015 was an important crossroads in American history and the Anglican Church’s witness in North America. I saw this event coming twenty years ago. I felt led to write a tract for the 1997 Episcopal General Convention titled Two Sexes, One Flesh:…
Defending Marriage at Oxford
The Ven. Dr. Peter Johnston, Ministry President of Anglican Compass, interviews Calvin Robinson, who has previously served in the Free Church of England, Nordic Catholic Church, and Anglican Catholic Church, about his participation in a debate at the Oxford Union in Oxford, UK, on whether Christianity should allow same-sex marriage. In his speech, he defended…
Valentine and the Christian Transformation of Marriage
Saint Valentine is a Roman martyr of the early church whose story illustrates the Christian transformation of marriage. Though he was commemorated on February 14th, at least since the 5th century, little is known definitively about Valentine. For this reason, the Church has, in modern times, distanced itself from the formal celebration of his day….
Marriage and the Three-Way Light Bulb
I happen to like three-way light bulbs. They make it possible to have background light for casual conversations and bright light for reading at night. Unfortunately the bulbs and sockets are quite finicky and I keep having to replace them. To be honest, I think the difficulty is that electric current is an on-off kind…
The Purposes of Marriage
Marriage is purpose-driven, that is to say, driven by God’s design from the beginning. In the marriage liturgy, after the majestic words introducing the origins of marriage, there follows a statement of its “causes” or purposes: The union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind was ordained by God: for the procreation of…
The Wedding, Anglican Style
At an Anglican wedding, almost everyone can leave happy. Here are a few areas by which our weddings differ (or should) from your typical American wedding. Other areas are included because of contemporary relevance. I offer this in the hope of explaining what we do; I also persuade people to see that the reasons behind…
