Abstract
Among orthodox reformed Christians in the Netherlands fierce debates have
occurred on moral aspects of Christian life. This essay discusses three major
controversial moral issues that are related to conceptions of sex, gender, and
sexuality: divorce/remarriage, women’s ordination, and homosexuality. By
analysing several contributions to debates on these issues, it proposes and
explores a hypothesis that concerns the role of a particular understanding of
marriage as characterized by a hermeneutical construct: a communal, deeply
rooted and subconscious normative principle that drives our interpretations
of texts and practices. This essay illustrates the problems of both the
dominance of marriage within Christian communities and lived faith, as well
as the modern, romantic aspects of this particular understanding of
marriage.
occurred on moral aspects of Christian life. This essay discusses three major
controversial moral issues that are related to conceptions of sex, gender, and
sexuality: divorce/remarriage, women’s ordination, and homosexuality. By
analysing several contributions to debates on these issues, it proposes and
explores a hypothesis that concerns the role of a particular understanding of
marriage as characterized by a hermeneutical construct: a communal, deeply
rooted and subconscious normative principle that drives our interpretations
of texts and practices. This essay illustrates the problems of both the
dominance of marriage within Christian communities and lived faith, as well
as the modern, romantic aspects of this particular understanding of
marriage.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 37-55 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Theology & Sexuality |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- gender
- hermeneutics
- homosexuality
- marriage
- ordination