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Document Details : Title: Faith and Sacramental Marriage Subtitle: Disputed Questions and the Contributions of Michael G. Lawler Author(s): WOODARD, Randall Jay Journal: Marriage, Families & Spirituality Volume: 24 Issue: 1 Date: 2018 Pages: 72-86 DOI: 10.2143/INT.24.1.3284967 Abstract : The significance of Michael G. Lawler’s work on the sacrament of marriage has been evident over his long career as a sacramental theologian. One issue raised by Lawler is the question of faith in relation to one’s ability to enter into a sacramental marriage. He has raised an important question for theologians and scholars of spirituality in respect to how faith ought to be defined in terms of spouses being capable of ministering the sacrament of marriage to one another if they don’t have an explicit and living faith. The article explains Lawler’s objections to official Catholic teaching on entry into marriage and asserts that those without explicit living faith may not be able to celebrate sacramental marriages. With an increased spotlight on marriage and divorce in Catholic teaching because of the recent work of Pope Francis, this essay examines and evaluates Lawler’s ideas for contemporary sacramental and spiritual relevance. |
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