Respect And Repression: The Influence Of Christianity On The Change Of The Status Of Western Women In Marriage

The world-known twentieth century French writer Simone de Beauvoir pointed out in her feminism classic The Second Sex, "One is not born but rather becomes a woman." The development of women is conditioned by the social and cultural circumstances they are in. Similarly, the status of women in marriage is the product of social and cultural environment. It comes into being under the influence of history and is restricted by the present society. The status of western women in marriage is also influenced by western culture. In modern western society women have a high status in marriage because of the western marriage rules, such as the principle of mutual consent, monogamy and equality between husband and wife. These marriage rules are not born, but develop under the influence of Christianity. Thus, in order to know the situation of western women it is very necessary to understand Christianity's influence on the change of western women's status in marriage.Christianity's views on marriage and its definition of married women alter a lot the status of western women in marriage. Before Christianity became the major religion of the west world western women lived in the ancient Greco-Roman and barbarian society. The customs and laws of ancient west world put women in marriage into a humble situation. In medieval Europe Christianity became the mainstream religion. On the one hand Christianity maintained the traditions of ancient Greco-Roman society to repress women. On the other hand Christianity showed respect for women's status in marriage. Through the analysis of the change of western women's status in marriage from the period of ancient Greece and Rome to the late Middle Ages when the whole western society was dominated by Christianity, this thesis tries to explore the far-reaching influence of Christianity on the development of western women.This thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter One is the introduction of the study. It briefs the theme and the structure of the thesis. Chapter Two by study of historic document and literary works analyzes the status of women in marriage in the ancient Greco-Roman and barbarian society. It focuses on three aspects of marriage: women's right in the formation of marriage, women's place in the relationship between husband and wife and women's situation in divorce. Although there were many dissimilarities among the ancient western societies, overall ancient western women had an inferior status in marriage. Chapter Three through the analysis of the Bible and the writings of Christian theologians explores the influence of Christianity's repression on the status of western women in marriage. This repression results from the biblical views on women in marriage and is enforced by later Christian theologians. Christianity preached wife's submission to husband in medieval Europe. Chapter Four through the analysis of the Christian teaching and the canon law explores another influence of Christianity's respect for the status of western women in marriage. And its respect for the status of women also comes from the biblical and theologian writings. In medieval Europe this respect is mainly shown in the Christian rules of marriage. This chapter revolves around women's status in marriage in the four aspects of Christian marriage. They are the formation of marriage, the type of marriage, the relationship between husband and wife, and the divorce. In the formation of marriage Christianity emphasized the consent of the couple and in this way protected women's right to choose the spouses. On the issue of the type of marriage Christianity only admitted monogamy. Monogamy enhanced the importance of wives, so women's status in marriage could not be neglected any more. And on the relationship between husband and wife, Christianity advocated the spiritual equality, equal right to sex and mutual love of the couple. Christian advocacy raised women's status in marriage. In addition Christianity opposed divorce. In medieval Europe Christianity's prohibition of divorce in fact protected the rights of women. Examples could be found in the historic records and the canon law of the Christian Church. Chapter Five is the conclusion of the thesis. It recalls the change of western women's status in marriage from the ancient Greco-Roman society to medieval Europe and illustrates again the far-reaching impact of Christianity.