Inter-faith marriages as a good chance

[alice24]

I just read some old hagiographic sources. One main theme, in the greek and slavic chornicles, too is the so called “mulier suadens” or “uxor suadens” - the mother or wife who brings her pagan husband to christianity.
I notice those interfaith marriages are seen today mostly as bad for the faith of the christian spouse. In the early sources, the image is often different - it is seen as a way to act out christian values and the gift of missionary in the marriage.
So, are there still people, maybe living in those marriages, who have seen thís more as a good chance and working well as a painful or difficult (in a bad way) way to live?

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Early on in the Church there was still the concept of being “unequally yoked”.

It is easy to romanticize those sort of situations. In the time since then, the Church has learned a thing or two about mixed marriages. People’s culture has also changed and the way we interact with the “pagan” world has done so, too.

 

[1ke]

In the early Church, many of the Christian women you speak of being married to pagans converted to the faith after they were already married or were converts in a pagan household and were given in marriage by a pagan parent(s) who had authority over them to a pagan groom (particularly upper class Roman girls).

Christian parents did not give Christian girls in marriage to pagans.

 

[alice24]

This is half true. In most cases, daughters of christian parents won´t be given to a pagan husband, but not always. In the middle byzantine period there are examples for that. Emperor Basil II daughter for example was given to a pagan.
The question of power is not that easy to answer in the eraly slavic reigns or in the greek or northern europe regions. There were always multiple relatives who owned political power, sometimes with the legitimation of their sons or husbands, sometimes with the matrilinear help.

 

[alice24]

Well, the whole idea of marriage relationship changed alot, yes. I still found it interesting to see how different those women are seen. Part of this is, of course, the fact that they weren´t responsible for choosing their grooms, the idea of accepting the ideas of other (male) relatives as a duty for women was more common.
I recently saw a documentation about interfaith marriages in Somalia. Beside this horrible war, they seem to have a longer history of muslim-christian mixed marriages. Not pagan, I know, but it just reminded me of those sources…

 

[1ke]

This is half true. In most cases, daughters of christian parents won´t be given to a pagan husband, but not always. In the middle byzantine period there are examples for that. Emperor Basil II daughter for example was given to a pagan

I am not talking about dynastic marriages, geez. Kings and princes did many things in the name of their dynastic ambitions, marrying 4 year olds to 60 year olds, marrying Christians to pagans, etc.

And, it was certainly the exception, not the rule. To say otherwise-- to say that Christian women should marry pagan men in order to evangelize them, or that the Church taught that, is disingenuous.

 

[alice24]

Well, we don´t have any other historic material that “dynastic sources” - normal people simply didn´t wrote down their history. Sadly, would help me with my work We do have this sources, but in a small scope, from the early ottoman reign, whrere christian and other people lived door to door in the old quarters in constantinople.

I won´t say there was only dynastic thought. If you read Anna Comnena´s Alexias biography, for example, there is much emotional and human content found in imperial decision. People are people, in the 13th century, too.

I never said it was the rule or mainly accepted. I said those few women were seen different than today. No need to make a rule like “we should marry more pagan men today” out of it

 

[1ke]

Then I don’t really understand what the point of your thread is.

 

[alice24]

I was curious if there are today people who rather see the chance for missionary or developing christian values in thise marriages. I was curious if those people do exist or if the view has completely changed because in most cases (what I won´t deny) the bad effects are more noticable. Maybe I wrote it too theoretic, I was for example very interested in practic examples.

 

[BlackFriar]

Why not just quiz real normal Catholics on CAF who are already in that situation?
Why should fat, white skinned pen pushers at the top from long ago who write the history according to their prejudices have the last say .

Your post title isnt really aimed at calling them out to speak.

 

[alice24]

Why not just quiz real normal Catholics on CAF who are already in that situation?

Why should fat, white skinned pen pushers at the top from long ago who write the history according to their prejudices have the last say .

Your post title isnt really aimed at calling them out to speak.

fat, white skinned pen pushers? You mean the historians or the historic person? I would advice more respect for both, please. Neither the old´byzantine Ladies nor myself are white and fat
So, maybe a tricky title, ok. I hoped to hear both reflection about the past AND today´s people experience. So, If there´s anyone, feel welcone to answer!

 

[BlackFriar]

What are you talking about?
I am speaking of the ancient hagiographers you spoke of?
It would be naiive to believe they didnt have agendas re disparity of cult.
Nothing to do with disrespect but realism over the human condition.