Abstract
New emerging paradigms in Western culture have produced a new ethic. Not only social ethics in general but the ethics of marriage and family life are changing rapidly. This new ethic has inter alia a strong bearing on marriage and family life, relationships explained by traditional Christian ethics. The traditional idea of heterosexual official marriages is challenged by new forms of civil relationships such as cohabitation, temporary relationships and civil unions between gay couples. Scholars even speak of the postmodernist marriage that, according to them, differs entirely from the traditional Christian idea of marriage. This article focuses on the concepts of marriage and family life against the background of the emerging postmodern and post-secular ethic and its consequences for the traditional view of marriage as a biblical institution. The central theoretical argument is that the concept of marriage in the biblical testimony should be defined and developed within the doctrine of the covenant and that such as view, with certain modifications, can still provide ethical directives and new perspectives on marital life for Christians today.Keywords: Marriage; Covenant; Post Modernism: Secular; Family
Highlights
Nowadays, modern Western culture is defined in various ways
He maintains that postmodernism is a critique on all forms of foundationalism, such as objectivism, universalism, rationalism and the certitude about truth and knowledge as professed by the Enlightenment
In addition to Baron’s view, it is fair to say that postmodernism questions the character and validity of tradition, including the traditional institution of marriage and family life
Summary
Modern Western culture is defined in various ways. The term postmodernist has become a popular description of modern modes of thinking, writing and conduct since the term was coined by Lyotard (1991, 2004). The idea of a covenant with God and a special covenantal relation between people is determined by the theology of the Old Testament and defines human relations in the political and social spheres.
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