Search Results (12)

This paper identifies and critiques the way conceptions of fidelity and reproduction shape contemporary approaches to doctrine. As an interdisciplinary work, I draw tools from adaptation studies, queer theory, and theatrical practice. This allows me to demonstrate how, in recent debates over doctrinal expansion or inclusion, both liberal and conservative approaches operate within the logics of the fidelity urge and reproductive futurism. The result of these commitments is an emphasis on handing on the past to the future. The work of Paleo-Orthodox theologian Thomas Oden, and the recent debates over marriage rites in the Uniting Church in Australia serve as illustrations. In suggesting an alternative, I turn again to the theatrical practices of adaptation to resource new conceptions of fidelity (and, in turn, novelty and transgression) that resist a dichotomy between a stable, unified origin and dependent, derivative copies. In their stead, I connect the bisexual epistemology of Marcella Althaus-Reid to the task of doctrine. Such a move brings the present into focus, resisting the allure of reproduction through a doctrinal agenda of confusion, effusiveness, and obscenity. Doctrine, outside of the fidelity urge, is suggested to be an act of non-competitive adaptation, whose horizon is not bound by the past or beholden to the future but is directed to the needs of the present. Full article

Marriage is a social contract that carries a number of qualities recognized as having fundamental values. These qualities include a spiritual bond between spouses, mutual love, affection, and responsibility, the continuation of the generation, and the existence of social order. The social definition of marriage implies that it is a phenomenon that occurs not only between two individuals in the context of cultural continuity but also in other social structures. It evolves into a structure that encompasses not only the initial two families but also the broader societal context. In Islamic marriage, a contract is formalized between a man and a woman who meet the religious requirements for marriage. The contract is executed with their consent and in the presence of witnesses. However, from a cultural perspective, marriage embodies a multifaceted structure, influenced by religion, ritual practices, symbols, and traditions. In this study, topics such as oral culture, wedding traditions, and rituals are discussed, and cultural practices are interpreted. This study sheds light on the manner in which marriage rites influence the discourse and actions within the social structure. Such studies are of paramount importance in demonstrating the continuity and vitality of culture, as well as the transformative nature of ritual meanings over time. They underscore the notion that culture is an ever-evolving process of interpretation, a characteristic that is intrinsic to its very essence. These actions, inextricably linked to societal structures, have the potential to give rise to novel symbolic meanings and values at any given juncture. However, it is imperative to recognize that the mere analysis of texts representing oral culture products is insufficient for comprehending their ritual functions, social messages, and emotional dimensions. Consequently, an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the study of transitional rituals and oral culture is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive understanding. By examining cultural elements from diverse perspectives, we can develop a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of cultural diversity in Anatolia. Full article

This study explores the integration of traditional African marriage customs with Catholic Canon Law in Nigeria, where cultural norms are deeply rooted. The research examines the historical, theological, and cultural dimensions that influence marriage within African Catholic contexts. Despite valuable insights from these scholars, significant challenges persist in reconciling traditional practices with Catholic sacramental rites. The article highlights critical areas needing further investigation, particularly the incorporation of culturally significant elements into Catholic marriage ceremonies and the provision of culturally sensitive pastoral care for married couples. To address these challenges, the study proposes several strategies: Cultural Hermeneutics, which promotes dialog between traditional African values and Catholic teachings; Inculturation of Liturgical Practices, which adapts Catholic wedding ceremonies to include African traditions; and Inclusive Pastoral Care, which offers compassionate and culturally informed support for couples. The research emphasizes the compatibility of African and Christian marital values, highlighting both personal and communal dimensions. It advocates for a shift from priest-centered marriage rites to elder-centered ones, increased involvement of extended families and Basic Christian Communities (BCCs), and a revision of church legislation to accommodate local customs while upholding core Gospel principles. By implementing these approaches, the Nigerian Catholic Church can create a marriage framework that honors cultural heritage while remaining true to Christian doctrine. Full article

Culture and media transform each other through mediatization. Mediatization interacts between culture and media through artifacts of material and visual culture to convey its messages to as many people as possible. Religion is an important component of culture, so it may be interesting to analyze the influence of mediatization on specific religious practices such as rites, particularly the rite of marriage. The processes of mediatization in marriage rites act performatively on physical and cultural space, and they are reshaping religious values and norms. Starting from the relationship between the ritual form of marriage and the physical shape of the architecture designed to host them, this article analyzes the relationship between mediatization and interfaith marriage rites. The objective is to show how the condition of inter-religiousness can demonstrate the presence of invariants in the structure of marriage rites and the architectural characterof the spaces where they take place. This article aims to demonstrate that the performative dimension of the space of marriage rites is based on these invariants, which are becoming one of the main tools through which mediatization is acting. Full article

The text develops philosophical considerations on the “institutional” dimension of marriage. First of all, the meaning of “institution” is problematized, as it is so much disputed and controversially interpreted today. On the one hand, in fact, it is circumscribed to denote a repressive reality—restraining, delaying, even disciplining—considered necessary and rescuing by some scholars, yet harmful and dangerous by others. On the other hand, accentuating its verbal form, “institution” is also understood in terms of movement, as the novelty that results from the act of instituting, as a discontinuity that opens a field of possibilities. Paul Ricœur considers institutions as part of the ethical tripod, i.e., of the ways through which human beings can flourish. In the context of these divergent understandings, this paper secondly considers the possibility to speak of marriage as an institution and to take marriage rituals as an example both of rite of passage and aggregation rituals. Bourdieu says that the separation achieved in rituals has a “consecrating” effect. Third, the paper questions whether functional and symbolic changes in marriage and marriage rituals can affect their institutional status and problematize their consequences. Full article

Ancient Chinese wedding ceremonies served as the solemn rituals for witnessing and establishing marriage, primarily aimed at forging kinship ties between two families and fulfilling the obligations of ancestral worship and lineage continuation. Within the Confucian tradition, the family and the state have always been interconnected, and ancient Chinese weddings, dating back to the Zhou dynasty, have maintained the fundamental order of both the family and society. This article primarily explores the influence of Confucianism on ancient Chinese wedding rituals and customs, as well as the historical evolution of wedding ceremonies throughout different dynasties. According to Confucian principles, the main procedures of the wedding ceremony included six rituals: “Nacai” (proposal ceremony), “Wenming” (name inquiry), “Naji” (betrothal gift ceremony), “Nazheng” (gifts for the selection of the auspicious day), “Qingqi” (asking for a wedding date), and “Qinying” (wedding procession). These six rituals were collectively known as the “Six Rites”. This study found that, during the Qin and Han dynasties and the Tang and Song dynasties, there were two important stages of reform of wedding ceremonies under the influence of Confucianism. The “Six Rites” were streamlined and merged into the “Three Rites”, gradually becoming more secular. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the interaction between Confucianism and the wedding ceremony weakened until the Republic of China period, when traditional constraints were broken. It is evident that the “Six Rites” have continued to serve as the template of traditional Chinese weddings and have been the important basis for subsequent wedding customs. Full article

This study analyses the Ritual of Esztergom, a ritual book published in 1625 containing rites for the celebration of sacraments and sacramentals administered by priests. The edition of this ritual book belongs to the period after the Council of Trent when the process of adaptation to the Roman liturgy began. The common elements and differences between the Ritual of Esztergom (1625) and the Roman Ritual (1614) are determined by comparative analysis. Our research has revealed a significant similarity with the Roman Ritual. Particularities preserved in the liturgical practice from the original Rite of Esztergom were identified in celebrating baptism, marriage and some blessings. Full article

In Western culture, divorce is becoming a transition event in individual life courses. As a result, it starts to be celebrated in ritual forms. In Italy, divorce is still a highly deritualized event from both civil and religious perspectives, although the transformations that make divorce a transition event have been occurring in recent years. This article depicts the complexities of divorce in a society such as Italy, where instances of social change coexist with strong elements of tradition. Emerging cultural practices related to couple dissolution in both formal and informal contexts are discussed. Structural determinants emerge as a force that can contribute to shaping the divorce rite as a new rite of passage. Full article

From the Late Ming to the Republican period, Chinese Catholics living in Jiangnan (present-day Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Anhui) progressively appropriated the sacramental doctrine and practices of the Church. This study examines the implementation and evolution of the sacraments of baptism, marriage, and extreme unction, and it focuses on each of them at a different moment in the process of acculturation. The latter can be analyzed in terms of both localization and globalization: on the one hand, the religiosity displayed by the grassroots communities integrated elements proper to Chinese tradition and sensitivity. On the other hand, local believers developed a consciousness of their participation in the global Church through active sacramental practice. Sacramental acculturation and identity building were mediated by a “ritual rhetoric” that provided communities with topoi through which to endow their existence with accrued meaning and blessings. Full article

The post-1989 transformation in Poland entailed not only institutional change, but also an ideational shift. Among other things, this ideational shift gave rise to a growing emphasis on individual autonomy, expressive values, and secularization, which has had an impact on the means of symbolic communication (e.g., rituals) and prepared the ground for the emergence of humanist marriage ceremonies in Poland. The secularization process has gradually undermined the taken-for-granted character of some religious practices, such as rites of passage. Additionally, with the increased focus on authenticity rather than on accuracy in the usage of some pre-stipulated scripts, social actors often tend to replace “ossified” meanings that are communicated through rituals with new meanings, which are perceived as more relevant. This paper sheds light on the issue of authenticity, which is an important category in studies of symbolic, ritual-like actions. Perceptions of authenticity were recurring themes during interviews conducted with couples who decided on a humanist wedding ceremony in Poland. Interviewees often asserted that they rejected the dominant Catholic rite because they perceived it as inauthentic. Full article

This paper explores the rites of passage rituals as the loci of health outcomes. It highlights how religiously sanctioned practices play a central role in healthcare in defiance of the perceived private and public dichotomy that dominates the modern secular mindset. Highlighted in the chapter are African rites of passage, specifically breast “ironing”, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and child marriage. Drawing from findings of a survey of 50 respondents, the chapter illustrates how these practices exemplify how rituals invoke health concerns in Africa and amongst Africans in the diaspora. The elevation of scientific knowledge and the privatization and categorization of religious knowledge as non-scientific in the mid-19th century resulted in the separation of the cure for the physical body from the spiritual factors, thus eliciting statements like “medicine is secular” and “religion is sacred and private.” In reality, however, medicine and religion have been interwoven for centuries and ancient holistic paradigms of healthcare have been present in many cultures even as society has modernized. Full article

This article adds to recent literature in the study of religion and marriage by examining older couples’ use of religion as a cultural repertoire in enduring marriages. The study includes qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 43 married, Christian couples. Couples reported four predominant social contexts that gave sacred meanings to their marriage: prayer, worship services and sermons, first-rite rituals and communion. These social contexts magnify sacred meanings within religious cultural repertoires by enhancing older couples’ perceptions of their marriages as sacred through formal and public recognition of their marriage longevity, lauding their marriage longevity as a blessing from God to be emulated, promoting religious meanings of familism and giving positive marriage outcomes sacred meanings. Negative effects of religion on marriage outcomes occurred among older couples when lived experiences of religion conflicted with their cultural expectations for enduring marriages. Full article