Marriage in the Assyrian Church of the East. Systematic Study with References to the Other Traditions of Christian Orient

Keywords: Sacrament of Marriage, Liturgy, Marriage, Nuptials, Assyrian Church of the East, Inseparability of the Marriage, Divorce

Abstract

Marriage seen as union between man and woman, which was constituted by the will of the Creator Himself, is held in high esteem by every liturgical and theological tradition. The Assyrian Church of the East is no exception, even if in her canonical discipline the marriage is not included in the list of the sacraments. This study is a presentation of the theological thought and liturgical practice of marriage in the venerable and ancient Christian tradition. The analysis concerns: the issue of the sacramental understanding of marriage; the brief history of the development of the rite; the presentation of the structure of marriage ceremony; the canonical possibility of divorce. The main part of this article refers to the liturgical rite of marriage, which in the Assyrian Church of the East appears as one of the most complex among all the Christian marriage liturgies. In the last part we put some reflections, which can become a humble contribution to the further discussion on the vision of marriage in the contemporary world.

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Published
2020-08-31
Section
Articles