To remarry or not to remarry?

Abstract

The Reformation gave a strong impetus to a development which has made marriage and family the (Protestant) Christian norm and singleness the exception. This article examines ascetic ideals in early Christianity from the viewpoint of remarriage. While staying celibate was uncommon, the valorization of an ascetic lifestyle prevailed – as long as it represented “true” asceticism, based on free will, and not “heretical” asceticism, allegedly based on false grounds. It was not an easy task to harmonize some scriptural teachings to such ascetic tendencies. One of the problematic passages was the recommendation to let young widows remarry (1 Timothy 5:14). This article analyses reading strategies applied to this passage by three ascetically inclined authors, Tertullian, John Chrysostom and Epiphanius. In spite of their different geographical and historical situations and differences in their attitudes towards remarriage, their readings of this passage contain several similarities – along with some dissimilarities.