Christian marriage is one of the most important Christian traditions. Since God created the first man and woman, He intended us to create strong relationships with our partners, procreate, and participate in community life in this way. Marriage is the foundation of not only strong families, but also of strong individuals and strong societies. Therefore, Christians should continue to advocate strongly for the institution of marriage in spite of secular norms and trends that lead away from the marriage tradition. The current trends that include a high rate of divorce, or partnerships that do not result in marriage, do not agree with Christian lifestyles. Moreover, these trends are relatively new and certainly do not reflect the tradition established by Christianity. The divorce rate has only been high within the past century, as previously it was not normative to divorce. Domestic partnerships that result in children without a wedding is also a trend so new, that it remains unacceptable in many traditional Christian communities around the world. Christians need to return to the roots and remember that trends are less important than Gods words in the Bible.

Christianity is also fundamentally opposed to violence in relationships. Unfortunately violence in marriages is not a new phenomenon. The Bible does advocate a male-controlled family structure, but the Bible does not in any way advocate violence towards women. Instead, the Bible teaches that marriages are built on mutual respect and on understanding the God-given roles in the family. A Christian marriage does restrict the freedoms of both women and men because of the patriarchal structure because "in a patriarchal culture all authority is vested in the husband-father," (Cooke 79). This means that the roles of husbands/men are as strictly...

One of the foundations of a Christian marriage is its role as promoting spiritual growth. Marriage in the Christian context is not just about raising children or economic interdependency. Rather, a Christian marriage is "a new human life of togetherness" in which the individuals are reborn just as Christ was reborn out of His love of humanity (Cooke 80). Christian marriage is a "sacramental relationship" based on "trust and hope," which is why even a patriarchal culture can have marriages based on mutual respect and trust. The Christian marriage concept can be best understood within the context the story of Christ, as Christ urged a relationship between the husband and wife that was fundamentally different from the marriage relationship that had previously existed (Cooke).
The Christian model of marriage is based on theology. When God advised Christians to "be fruitful and multiply," He did so within the framework of the traditional Christian marriage. Adam and Eve, the original Man and Wife, established the role models for all future marriages. When God created man and woman, He specifically did so to distinguish humans from the animals. God did not intend for people to procreate with anyone at any time, outside of the bonds of marriage, like animals do. The goal of human life is to serve God, not to create the maximum number of children possible. Marriage is a spiritual institution that can promote the development of emotions like love and compassion. Through the institution of marriage, the spouses improve their relationship with God by being willing…