1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«For centuries Augustine’s thought has been influential in the development and understanding of Christian Doctrine. His treatise On the Good of Marriage (De Bono Coniugali) is one of the most authoritative treatises on marriage in Christianity. This study examines how Augustine’s view is manifested in John Calvin and Timothy Keller’s exegesis of the household code (haustafeln) in Ephesians 5:18-33.» (p. iii)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«My hypothesis is that although the three men addressed audiences in three very different times, the cultural issues surrounding marriage have not changed enough throughout the centuries to warrant a drastic, noticeable change in the core message of Calvin and Keller’s work.» (p. 21)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«[T]he contents of Augustine’s treatise, Calvin’s sermons and commentaries on Ephesians as well as Keller’s book about marriage based on his exegesis of Ephesians are reviewed [in this thesis].» (p. iii)

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique

3. Résumé

«I conclude that despite Augustine’s “goods” influence upon these two Protestant churchmen, their reading of Ephesians leads them to somewhat different conclusions about the chief purpose of marriage in Christian life. While Augustine upholds the goodness of marriage for its role in keeping the couple faithful and legitimate childbearing, Calvin’s view is informed by his preoccupation with maintenance of social order; whereas Keller purports marriage as a journey on which spouses embark as mutual, self-sacrificing helpers, becoming their God-intended-self along the way.» (p. iii) «Augustine’s three goods of marriage do seem to be an underlying premise for both Calvin and Keller’s message about Christian marriage presented in Ephesians 5. Nevertheless, both men’s notions of the primary mission, purpose or good of marriage do not necessarily align with Augustine’s. Marriage, in Calvin’s view, is ‘good’ because it is a means for achieving order in society which encourages Christians to live their lives in accordance to God’s will. While for Keller, as in Augustine’s view, friendship is the primary purpose for marriage; profound friendship that leads each spouse to profound change, becoming the person God intends each to be.» (p. 117)