Reimagining Theologies of Marriage in Contexts of Domestic Violence

Download or read book Reimagining Theologies of Marriage in Contexts of Domestic Violence written by Rachel Starr and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Domestic violence is a significant threat to women’s survival. But Christian understandings of marriage often prevent women from resisting abusive relationships. Can the Church’s teaching on marriage be reshaped so that it helps women to survive, rather than encourage them to submit to their husband, bear their cross, or sacrifice themselves for the sake of their marriage? Focusing on everyday practices of marriage in two very different contexts: Argentina and England, Reimagining Theologies of Marriage in Contexts of Domestic Violence considers how Christian understandings of marriage as a covenant or sacrament relate to the lived experience of marriage. Drawing on Augustine’s notion of the goods of marriage, and on belief in the saving power of marriage, this book suggests that only when the wellbeing of bodies is central to a marriage can it have the power to save.