Rites of Christian Marriage

This course is a treatment of a liturgical theology of Christian marriage, through historical and theological analysis of its rites. A liturgical-theological approach will focus on marriage's sacramental, ecclesial and covenantal aspects, rather than on juridical or sexual-ethical questions Texts, ritual actions and liturgical structures in both eastern and western  christianity, from the early church to the present day, will be examined, looking at biblical references, theological motifs, cultural context, and the ritual process. Practical questions will be considered through a comparative examination of current marriage rites in the worship books of various Christian traditions Some attention will be given, in particular, to the forthcoming revision of the rite of marriage in the Roman Catholic church.