4.4. What is Marriage?

Augustine pondered what it is about marriage that makes leaving a spouse, even by a thousand miles, still an act of adultery. Jesus emphasized that marriage, as it was 'in the beginning' (before Moses and prior to Christianity), was inseparable. This suggests that the indivisibility of marriage is rooted in nature itself, not merely in an external binding force or the blessing of an authority. We propose a framework for understanding marriage as a mutual handover of authority over each spouse's body, united by the sacred access to God's creative zeal in forming new a God-given spirit in a new human (child). Humanity does not have the inherent right to own another person or to own them without accessing that zeal. Likewise, the authority granted in marriage does not extend to possessing another individual. It is a unique, divinely ordained exchange that respects both the dignity of persons and the sacred purpose of marriage.