Luther's enduring words on marriage

Sixteenth-century Christian reformer Martin Luther's writings on marriage and the family profoundly influenced European culture -- and addressed many of the issues that are on the public agenda today, says Allan C. Carlson, president of the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society in Rockford, Ill.

The following are excerpts of Mr. Carlson's lecture about what he called "Luther's sexual revolution," delivered Friday in Washington at the Family Research Council.

The late medieval church held arguably conflicting views of women. Formally, the Virgin stood as the model of devotion, of honor and emulation. Informally, there were also signs of a certain misogyny, a curious distrust of women ... by an emphasis on their supposed inferior nature.

Regarding marriage, the late medieval church held two possibly inconsistent views. On one hand, the church held marriage to be a Christian sacrament, a divine mystery, a channel of God's sanctifying grace.

On the other hand, the church also projected the message that the spiritual status of a celibate priest, monk or nun was superior to that of a married lay Christian. Canon law cast marriage as an obstacle to a life based on prayer and wholehearted fellowship with God.

To enter marriage and to bear ... children ... were somewhat inferior Christian acts, less than holy. The sexual act itself, even in marriage, stood as unclean, sinful, degrading.

Marriage did enjoy [limited] regulation by the late medieval church. Generally, government was not involved, but divorce was prohibited. Church marriage courts dealt with issues of annulment and then the inevitable disputes. The problems within this ... regulatory system were accumulating.

To begin with, the late medieval church maintained a long list of impediments to marriage, most of which could be overcome in the early 16th century by payment into the right ... coffers. Accordingly, cynicism over the institution of marriage grew.

Martin Luther's approach to marriage, family and sexuality cut through this world as a hot knife through butter. Appearing at times to be astonishingly modern, even scientific in his insights, Luther ultimately wrote his argument on his reading of Scripture.

Luther, let us remember, was himself a ... monk, an ordained priest and a prominent professor of theology at the University of Wittenburg. The principal and historical significant thrust of Luther's thought ... defined a unique, evangelical interpretation of family life.

Luther [rejected] celibacy as unbiblical and unnatural. For Luther, God's words in Genesis 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply," represented more than a command. It was what he called a divine ordinance ... which it is not our prerogative to hinder or ignore. The reformer [also] emphasized Genesis 2:18.

Luther declared that Christians must grant that the word of God was true and believe that God was not drunk when he spoke the words that instituted marriage."

For it was not a matter of free choice or decision but a natural and necessary thing, that whatever is a man must have a woman and whatever is a woman must have a man. ... Regarding the sexual act ?through marriage sex became a moral good, an _expression of God's will. This was the heart of Luther's sexual revolution. ...

Luther ... criticized the contraceptive mentality that ... was found chiefly among the well-born, the wealthy, the nobility and princes. Also he linked contraception and abortion to selfishness.

Luther also understood that marriage was the best protection against the scourge of sexual disease. ... "The benefit not only of the body, property, honor and soul of the individual, but also to the benefit of whole cities and countries in that they remain exempt to the most terrible plagues that have befallen lands and people because of fornication."

The married state ... was pleasing to God and precious in his sight. ... A woman is not created to be a virgin, but to conceive and bear children. Similarly, God called the men to serve as Christian ...fathers.

Luther ... concludes that there is no higher office, state, condition or work than the state of marriage. Luther also casts man and woman as fully equal in dignity and authority [and] marriage ... a true partnership of work, procreation and child care.

Whatever a husband has, his wife has and possesses in its entirety. ... If the wife is honorable, virtuous and pious, she shares in all the chores and ... duties and functions of her husband.

In short, Luther's version of sexual egalitarianism could be expressed only through the bond of marriage. The husband and wife, in becoming one flesh, found true equality.

So, Luther elevated parenting as a task of responsibility, and in so doing re-energized the Christian home as an autonomous Christian sphere. "There is no power on earth that is nobler or greater than that of parents," stated the reformer. ...

In the Protestant home, father and mother would share the duties of child rearing to an unusual degree. Inspired by Luther's message on family, publishers turned out dozens of editions of so-called house-father books, 16th-century self-help [guides] for dads. The goal was to instill in children the true controls necessary to an ordered life.

Luther argued that within clear scriptural guidelines, personal freedom should be granted. ... Luther consistently maintained that true Christian freedom ... could never degenerate into idleness or wickedness ... [and called] for greater freedom to marry. ...

Luther never extended this freedom to marry to two people of the same sex. For him it [would have been] an inconceivable, horrific act contrary to the very order of God's creation. ?

How might we judge the success of Luther's family ethic? [It] cast marriage as the highest order and calling on earth. It softened and redirected, while not eliminating, patriarchal leadership. It spiritually and culturally elevated motherhood and homemaking, and it celebrated procreation and large families [and] encouraged ... family autonomy and freedom that refocused adults' lives around the tasks of child rearing.