From Sacrament to Contract

This newly revised and enlarged edition explores the interplay among law, theology, and marriage in the Western tradition. Witte uncovers theological beliefs that helped to form Western marriage law throughout history to discover how such beliefs might help inform marriage law in the future. He explores the ways in which Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, and Enlightenment thinkers have constructed systematic models of marriage from four perspectives: spiritual, social, contractual, and naturalist. This second edition also includes three new chapters that expand the discussion of classical, biblical, and patristic materials, and an updated bibliography.