HSC RELIGIOUS TRADITION DEPTH STUDY: CHRISTIANITY MARRIAGE

Outcomes: H1 explains aspects of religion and belief systems. H2 describes and analyses the influence of religion and belief systems on individuals and society. H4 describes and analyses how aspects of religious traditions are expressed by their adherents H5 evaluates the influence of religious traditions in the life of adherents.

Students learn about : SIGNIFICANT PRACTICES IN THE LIFE OF ADHERENTS ONE significant practice within Christianity drawn from: Baptism Marriage ceremony Saturday/Sunday worship

Students learn to: Describe ONE significant practice from within Christianity drawn from: BAPTISM; MARRIAGE CEREMONY; SATURDAY/SUNDAY WORSHIP Demonstrate how the chosen practice expresses the beliefs of Christianity Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Christian community.

In the exam….. There will be two types of questions where you will be able to use the topic of MARRIAGE - in Christianity. 1.Section II – parts a), b) and c) : short answers (ONE question 15 marks) OR 1.Section III – extended response ( ONE question 20 marks)

Section II….. an example: a)List THREE contributions to Christianity of ONE significant person or school of thought. /3 marks b) Describe the main teachings of Christianity on ONE of the following areas: Bioethics Environmental ethics Sexual ethics. /6 marks c)Explain the importance of ONE of the following practices in Christianity to the life of the community: Baptism Marriage Ceremony Saturday/Sunday worship. /6marks

Section II….. sample questions: Describe ONE of the following significant practices in Christianity: Baptism Marriage Ceremony Saturday/Sunday Worship /3 marks Explain the importance of ONE of the following practices in Christianity to the life of the community: Baptism Marriage Ceremony Saturday/Sunday Worship /6 marks

Section III….. For the TRIAL and HSC Exam you will have to choose a DIFFERENT Religious Tradition from the one you chose in Section II. Outline the purpose and assess the significance of ONE of the following practices in Christianity: Baptism Marriage Ceremony Saturday/Sunday Worship. /20 marks Analyse the significance of ONE significant practice in Christianity: Baptism Marriage Ceremony Saturday/Sunday Worship. for both the individual and the community. /20 marks

MARRIAGE

RELIGIOUS RITES A RITE is a formal, prescribed act in a religious observance. Within the rite there are certain rituals. RELIGIOUS RITES are performed/undertaken by believers to : CELEBRATE SYMBOLISE MAKE PRESENT THEIR CENTRAL BELIEFS

RELIGIOUS RITES Are a method by which members of a religious community celebrate what is important in their lives and is an important medium for bringing the individual and the group into contact with the transcendent. The effect of religious rites is to give meaning to the events of life and place them in the context of the groups beliefs. In this way they touch that which is most important to group identity and inspire us towards an ideal.

Describe ONE significant practice within Christianity : Marriage Ceremony

DESCRIBE Provide characteristics and features

Christian Marriage as a rite of passage The time The couple are required to be over the age of 18 years. The place The wedding ceremony takes place in the Church. The participants The rite of marriage is a public ceremony- the couple are required to make their vows in public. Also present are 2 witnesses, families and friends and a priest or minister. The charter Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Protestant Christians regard marriage as a sacrament – this means that it is a special means by which God acts in people’s lives. The set form The religious ceremony involves many symbols and actions such as : opening song, bridal procession, giving the bride away, readings from the bible, etc. This can vary with each Christian denomination.

The symbol system The use of symbols will vary with different Christian denominations. Some which are common include: Recitation of marriage vows Exchange of rings Readings from scripture Drinking from the cup of wine Joining hands while the marriage vows are made Signing the marriage contract Saying of prayers The bride wearing a veil and wearing white The hierarchical and role relations The married couple move from being children of a family to an equal level with their parents. Most will have children and become parents themselves. The relationship between a man and a woman in a Christian marriage is expected to be equal. The transformation Prior to marriage this couple were single and from 2 separate families. Marriage unites these two people together in love, forming a new family unit in which husband and wife are responsible for one another and for their children.

Demonstrate how the chosen practice expresses the beliefs of Christianity.

Demonstrate Show by example

Marriage in the Sacred Writings Marriage imagery is used over and over in the scriptures to help us understand God’s loving plan for creation. The Bible begins with the story of the creation of man and woman as partners made in the image of God and it concludes with the wedding feast of the Lamb in the book of Revelation (19:5-8) It is in human marriage that we get a glimpse of the tremendous love which Christ has for the Church and it is in human marriage and family life that we have a foretaste of the intimate communion and tremendous joy that will be ours in heaven. Patricia Morrison Driedger, 2001, Our Sacramental Life, page 208

Saint Paul Regards marriage as a sacred commitment. He likens the love between husband and wife to the love Christ has for his Church and he calls upon them to love one another as they would love themselves. Paul stresses the ethic of faithfulness in marriage. “Marriage is to be honoured by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” (Hebrews 13:4)

Marriage in the Sacred Writings The Christian rite of marriage stresses that marriage is a life long commitment. This belief is taken directly from the scriptures. It is made manifest in the recitation of the marriage vows, and sometimes in the readings chosen by the couple and in the homily given by the priest or minister. The meaning and purpose of marriage Mark 10:6“In the beginning, at the time of creation, ‘God made them male and female’ as the Scripture says.” Jesus refers to the way God has made human beings Mark 10:7-8“And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.” The purpose of marriage as preached by Paul Ephesians 5:31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with hid wife, and the two will become one.”

Marriage in the Sacred Writings Jesus explains the idea of leaving one family in order to establish another. This also explains the holiness and permanence of marriage with God as the designer of marriage. Mark 10:8-9“So they are no longer two but one. Man must not separate then, what God has joined together.” Jesus explains the Christian ideal- marriage involving life- long companionship which is faithful and which excludes divorce and remarriage Mark 10:11-12“A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife. In the same way, a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery.”

How a Christian Rite of Marriage makes present the central beliefs of the tradition: The Scriptures Central in the marriage ceremony The readings focus on marriage as a life-long, sacred commitment, instituted by God, and the faithfulness and love that are required to make the marriage work. Make clear that parents are obligated to bring up their children in a loving Christian environment. The couple can choose their own readings or can be given a set to choose from to ensure that the central Christian beliefs about marriage are the focus. The priest or minister delivers a homily which elaborates on the Scripture readings and which explains the meaning of a Christian marriage. The location or place The church reminds Christians that marriage is created by God as a deep way of sharing between a couple, and that God blesses this relationship.

How a Christian Rite of Marriage makes present the central beliefs of the tradition: The Symbols The marriage vows affirm the Christian belief that marriage is a life-long commitment. The giving of rings symbolises the commitment that the couple will always be true to each other. The ring, being circular symbolises that love has no end. The lighted candle, used in some denominations, symbolises the light of Christ which comes through the word of God in scripture. In the Orthodox denomination, husband and wife are the king and queen of the family, which is an image of the kingdom of God. The crowns are also the symbols of the martyrs who are witnesses to Christ and his teaching, as the newly married couple will be. The nuptial blessing brings out two themes of Catholic marriage: that a husband’s human love for his wife is a model of the love which Christ has for God’s people- the Church, and that marriage is a relationship based on faithfulness which is plain for all to see.

Christian Marriage is… A Sacred Commitment A Sacrament (in some denominations) A Life Long Commitment A Monogamous, Indissoluble and Faithful Relationship A Covenant Relationship – a model of the love which Christ has for God’s people A Vocation The foundation of the family and the Church

Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Christian community.

Analyse Identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications.

Marriage – A RITE OF PASSAGE A rite of passage is an important and often complex ritual that allows an individual or individuals to be transformed from one stage to another ie. from an old status to a new status. Rites of passage affect this change of status as well as proclaiming it to the community. Thus there is a strong community element in rites of passage – it confirms the beliefs of the group, encourages group cohesion, and teaches moral lessons.

The significance of this practice for the individuals … Elevates the mundane to the supernatural. Every aspect of the couples’ relationship is meant to reflect the love Christ has for his church, so that even the most mundane events of life, the love the couple has for each other deepens their relationship with God. Structures the lives of the couple. Prior to marriage they are both single with responsibility just for themselves. Now married they share the same home and they have ongoing responsibility for each other and for their children. A way of holiness. Marriage is a sacred and life long union of a man and a woman who give themselves to each other in trust and love. Their relationship should reflect the everlasting love that God has for the Church through Christ. Through marriage, the couple express their love and service of God through their love and service of each other.

The significance of this practice for the community … A means of identification with the community of believers. For example, a couple who are married in a Catholic Church are likely to have their children baptised in the Catholic Church. Strengthens the community of believers. This happens through the prayers that the congregation say for the couple about to be married. They affirm their Christian beliefs, and the central beliefs about marriage are made clear through the rite itself. A means of reflection. On the couple’s participation within Christianity and their ultimate purpose as human beings, to grow in holiness through their relationship. Acknowledges, supports and encourages the human conditions of suffering, joy and bereavement. This is particularly clear in the marriage vows “for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

When a couple marry in the Christian Church, the ceremony speaks of love, permanent commitment, fidelity, openness to children and perseverance in good time and bad. It is these qualities which make marriage a unique relationship. There is no other human relationship which requires so total a commitment between two people.