Marriage in Islam and Christianity

Marriage in any faith is considered to be the joint union of a man and a woman. It is commitment, love and faith in themselves and their religion, which holds the marriage. Marriage in Christianity and Islam has the same goal of committing a man and a woman together however the process to that point has its own symbolistic significance within that faith. Marriage is considered to be a rite of passage in both Christianity and Islam, a rite of passage in reference to any religion is a ritual or ceremony marking an individual's passing from one stage or state to a more advanced one, or an event in one's life that seems to have such significance; an example is marriage.

Marriage is considered to be an important rite of passage in Christianity. The joint marriage of a man and a woman in marriage is believed to be like the union, which exists between Jesus Christ and the church. According to Mark 10:6-9, Marriage is described as ‘At the beginning of creation god made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one, therefore what god has joined together let no man separate’. Within Christianity exist a number of denominations that do practice the tradition or sacrament of marriage. In the Orthodox Church, marriage is considered to be a sacrament and is held within high significance. There is a lot of symbolism entwined within the marriage ceremony.

The most important aspect within the marriage ceremony is the exchanging of the rings; this generally signifies the permanent relationship and undying love for each other. It is a symbol of the relationship as there is no beginning and no end to it, it’s an endless cycle just like the love . In the orthodox denomination the rings are a symbol of the promise to each other and the exchanging of the rings symbolizes that the weakness of one partner will be helped by the strength of the next partner. The rings are significant as it allows an individual to know and a reminder that the person is married.

The couples are then given candles to hold throughout the ceremony; in regards to orthodoxy the candles are a “spiritual willingness” of the couple to receive Christ, which is seen as a blessing from Jesus Christ. Throughout the ceremony, the couple join their right hands, this is done whilst...

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...ife that seems to have such significance

In conclusion, both Islam and Christianity recognize the event of marriage, each with their own ways of uniting a man and a woman. Each faith has different symbolic methods that signify a means of religious influence, the most evident the ‘I do’ in Christianity and signing the Nikah in Islam. The ceremonial process is there signifying the love, commitment and devotion they uphold for each other.

Bibliography

Books

· Patricia Hayward, and Jonathan Noble Macquarie HSC Studies of Religion. Macmillan publishing, 2003 Pg 104.

· Louise Fleming, Excel: Studies of Religion, Pascal Press, 2001. Pg 189

Class Material

· Class Material: ‘Marriage in the Orthodox Church’, www.stmichael.org/marriage.html

· Class Material: ‘What happens at a Muslim Wedding?’

· Class Material: ‘Islam: Marriage and Divorce’ Paragraph 1, Page 1

Internet

· URL: www.wwnorton.com/introlit/glossary.htm Bradshaw, Gary S. "Wilbur and Orville Wright." Oct. 1996