IRD posts resource to equip Christians
for public discourse on marriage
By Carmen Fowler, The Layman, August 20, 2009
Though it’s named for a hill far away in present-day Jordan, the Mount Nebo Papers are an easily accessible resource to help lay people think through public policy issues from a Christian perspective.
Created by the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), the goal of the Mount Nebo Papers is to gain a Biblical perspective on contemporary issues. The most recent paper, written by Presbyterian scholar Alan F. H. Wisdom, deals with the subject of marriage. The first one focused on the subject of the environment and the next paper will focus on the Middle East.
The paper acknowledges that marriage is a theme woven all the way through the Bible. The argument is made the “Biblically grounded Christians will place a high value on marriage, as Jesus did.” From the creation texts of Genesis 1 and 2, to the teachings of the Law, to the questions posed to Jesus about marriage, to the teachings of Paul on the subject, the Mount Nebo Paper does not shy away from the reality that there are many strands of teaching about marriage in the Bible but then asserts that “it is through interweaving these strands that the church has developed its doctrine and practices regarding marriage.”
It is acknowledged that “church doctrines and practices develop in social contexts” but the argument is then made that when working properly, through its influence, the church changes the culture. A study is made of the early Church fathers and readers get to hear from Chrysostom, Ambrose and Augustine. Medieval canon law is unpacked as are teachings on the subject from Reformers included Luther and Calvin leading to a discourse on “where we are today.”
For many people this section of the paper will be a first foray into the social and demographic data related to the weakening of institution of marriage over the past two decades. Readers may have personal experiential knowledge of the breakdown of marriage in our society, but the statistics presented in the Mount Nebo Papers paint an undeniable picture of the damage done by marriages’ decay.
The public policy options are then introduced:
- Option A – disestablish marriage in Church and society;
- Option B – maintain the Church’s understanding of marriage, but stop expecting society to share any of that understanding; and
- Option C – renew appreciation of the Biblical and traditional doctrines of marriage and take practical steps so that more people may live out those doctrines in society.
The pros and cons of each option are presented and weighed and Option C is advocated.
There is a section in which the various official church policies on marriage are addressed and then conclusions on matters where all Christians can find consensus.
It is acknowledged that “secular progressives might disagree, but in the church even liberals usually affirm at least these elements of the tradition:”
- Marriage is established and blessed by God, and therefore the church has a major stake in marriage.
- Marriage reflects the love between God and His people, and therefore the church has something important to say about marriage.
- Marriage has multiple purposes: as a sexual union of two persons, as a setting for childbearing and childrearing, as an antidote to sexual sin, as a source of companionship, as a means of mutual economic provision, as a building block of society.
- Marriage is monogamous. Few would attempt to justify adultery or polyamory.
- Marriage is a norm. Most people desire to marry and most will marry at some point. Most parents desire to see their children happily married.
- Marriage is intended to be lifelong. Most people taking the vows are not planning to divorce after a few years. They want a lasting union.
- Churches should play a role in preparing people for marriage and helping them sustain healthy marriages. These efforts are simply assisting couples to keep the vows that they willingly take.
There are then several matters on which there “should” be consensus and then those “questions on which consensus is lacking” in the Christian community, leading to study questions that are designed to challenge Christians to prepare to serve as Christ’s witnesses on the matter of marriage in the public debate.
The 47-page study is an excellent resource for both individuals and groups as it includes study questions and resources for further study in addition to a format that lends itself to a six week study group. It is available for free via download at www.theird.org, which requires a no-cost registration.
The IRD’s Web site states the “papers offer a model of how thoughtful Christians should engage public policy issues. They start with a survey of relevant Biblical teachings. They then look for guidance from church history and tradition. The papers next examine the perceived problem facing society. The pros and cons of several policy options are weighed. Attention is given to the positions adopted by church bodies and leaders of various Christian traditions. The papers conclude with a summary of matters on which all Christians should be in agreement, as contrasted with matters that should be left to the prudential judgment of individual believers.”
The name Mount Nebo is borrowed from the mountain from which Moses was permitted to view the Promised Land that he would not be able to enter (Deuteronomy 32:48-52). The IRD uses this Biblical incident as an analogy for what it wishes to accomplish in this series of papers, according to its Web site.
The Institute on Religion and Democracy is an ecumenical alliance of Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with Biblical and historical Christian teachings, and to contribute to the renewal of democratic society in the United States and abroad.