From Sacrament to Contract Second Edition: Marriage Religion and Law in the Western Tradition

This newly revised and enlarged edition of John Wittes authoritative historical study explores the interplay of law theology and marriage in the Western tradition. Witte uncovers the core beliefs that formed the theological genetic code of Western marriage and family law. He explores the systematic models of marriage developed by Catholics Lutherans Calvinists Anglicans and Enlightenment thinkers and the transformative influence of each model on Western marriage law. In addition he traces the millennium-long reduction of marriage from a complex spiritual social contractual and natural institution into a simple private contract with freedom of entrance exercise and exit for husband and wife alike.This second edition updates and expands each chapter and the bibliography. It also includes three new chapters on classical biblical and patristic sources.