Marriage in the Western Church: The Christianization of Marriage During the Patristic and Early Medieval Periods

Author Philip Reynolds examines how marriage acquired a specifically Christian identity in the Latin West during the first millennium after Christ. Beginning with Jesus, everything the Christians did, including getting married, began a process of differentiation. Reynolds offers three themes for theological reflection and interpretation: Jesus’ teaching, Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, and Paul’s justification of marriage as a solution to the problem of sexual desire. Reynolds’ insights into the Christianization of marriage make this a valuable book at both the scholarly and the practical level.