535 - Blessed Be the Bond: Christian Perspectives on Marriage and the Family

Blessed Be the Bond:
Christian Perspectives on Marriage and the Family
By William Johnson Everett
Philadelphia, Fortress, 1985. 130 pp. $6.95.

For those in search of a theological perspective on marriage that avoids both psychology in the guise of. theology and simplistic moralizing, William Johnson Everett offers hope. A Roman Catholic, currently serving as Director of the OIKOS project on Work, Family, and Faith in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this writer gives evidence of religious commitment accompanied by awareness of the contribution that sociology and psychology can make to theological understanding.

The intent of the author is "to present a theological position fully informed by a critical appropriation of the social sciences." Competence to do so is evident. The weakness, however, is that the project was too large for a book this size. Encouragingly, he notes that a longer volume is forthcoming,

Johnson provides some helpful outlines for a systematic examination of contemporary marriage. Speaking of the importance of taking the historical understanding of marriage seriously, he seeks to take modern developments with appropriate seriousness as well. New and different issues in marriage provide new opportunity to examine and understand the richness of our Christian heritage.

It is at this point of seeking to understand the relationship of old commitments to new forms that the sociological and psychological tools become useful to us. Johnson helps us in three ways.

First, he writes of the four subjects of marriage: person, couple, family, and household. In brief, each of these subjects has a different vested interest. The person, or individual, over the millennia, has come to carry value and rights that are seen as inalienable, and marriage is now seen to "owe" respect to each person. The couple, a union of two persons, is a relational unit that has durability simply on the grounds of those two

536 - Blessed Be the Bond: Christian Perspectives on Marriage and the Family

individuals choosing to make such a commitment. A family is a "network of relationships established by birth, marriage, and the artificial birth of adoption." That network claims allegiances that extend beyond individual rights or a couple's pledge to each other. The household is a "domestic organization" concerned with survival, now primarily in terms of economics. It quickly becomes evident that each of these "subjects" involves views of persons, commitments, allegiances, duties, etc. that can come into conflict. And the "subject" of greater concern will vary from one individual to the next, deeply affecting the nature of relationships.

The next step in this examination of marriage involves the development of three models for defining the structure of marriage and family: hierarchical, organic, and egalitarian. The reader can readily see the content of the first and third. Hierarchical ordinarily implies a maledominated structure. Egalitarian emphasizes mutuality in partnership. Johnson's description of the organic model emphasizes reciprocity and interdependence in the interests of function, with duties and power delegated to those most competent for the task.

Finally, Johnson also provides four symbols for understanding marriage: sacrament (with emphasis on marriage as vital to the life of the church), vocation (where marriage is seen as an instrument with purpose for living out God's calling), covenant (in which commitments between the persons involved are taken very seriously), and communion (in which resonance and mutual participation become the dominant themes).

After careful development of the meanings and dynamics of these three groups of concepts, Johnson moves into a very helpful description of their interrelationships, with implications for marriage. For example, persons with a hierarchical view of marriage find themselves unable to understand, and even hostile in the face of, persons who speak of "valuing" each other enough to set aside personal goals in the interest of helping the other person to develop. Arguments are not made in favor of one view or the other. Rather, the attempt provides the reader with clearer understanding of both theological and psychological/sociological issues at stake in the various positions. Johnson examines topics, such as "Love, Sex, and Sacrifice," from the perspectives of the various subjects, models, and symbols in a very helpful manner, leading to a final development of a "contemporary theology of marriage."

The complexity of what Johnson is doing should be obvious here. But it is time and energy well spent. As stated earlier, it is disappointing that such a substantive development has been attempted in such a brief volume. As a teacher of pastoral care and counseling, I have been searching for a modern theological treatment of marriage for use in my classes. Johnson's seems to offer the makings of such a work, although the longer volume will be needed to provide more illustrative material as well as clearer explanations. Nonetheless, the present book is at least a "teaser" that will be helpful to clergy and theologically informed laity

537 - Blessed Be the Bond: Christian Perspectives on Marriage and the Family

who seek to make sense out of the tension that seems to exist between ancient definitions and present forms of marriage.

William V. Arnold
Union Theological Seminary
Richmond, Virginia