Marriage as an Orthodox Spiritual Sacrament or Mystery and “Revisionist” and “New-Age” Theology

• Main Author: Angelo Nicolaides
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Africajournals 2015-01-01
• Series: Pharos Journal of Theology
• Subjects: marriage; sacrament; mystery; Orthodox
• Online Access: https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_3_vol_96_(2015)re-reviewed.pdf

There are seven Sacraments in the Eastern Orthodox Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Ordination, Unction and Marriage. These are called "Mysteries" because each one hides in itself a mysterious and miraculous action of God the Holy Spirit. The core of each has mysterious and miraculous divine action. We do not know how the Holy Spirit works in each of the Mysteries, but we know that He works in and through it. There are indeed many of the tensions facing Christians in an increasingly pluralist ecclesiastic and often fragmented global society. What are the problems with Revisionist and New Age Orthodox theological notions expressed which are not in line with Orthodox dogma or tradition such as the tendency to deify carnal relations and have sanctified erotic desires? The researcher strives to interpret the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church on the issues of marriage in a historical context. This is done by investigating from a conceptual analytical and historical perspective, the norms and values revolving around the issue in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. As such the article enlightens the reader as to the doctrines, ethics and liturgical life of the Church. This article highlights the relative, perspectival and contextual aspects of marriage as a spiritual sacrament and thus uncovers or deconstruct the ambiguities of modernity as it impacts on the sacrament.