Zwingli: Marriage is for Everyone! -Sophia Colbert
The thesis that caught my eye was number XXX, about the vow of chastity. From my understanding, Zwingli is saying that vows of chastity are foolish and that everyone should get married. However, in thesis XXIX, he says that clergy members who cannot keep their vows of chastity commit sin, meaning that vows of chastity are important. Perhaps he is not saying that chastity is important, but keeping to the vow is. Vows are serious business. Even if it is not a life or death matter, when you swear a vow to God, you must keep that vow or else sin by breaking it. Is he saying that everyone should get married, but if you made a vow of chastity you must keep it? Zwingli does not think highly of people who take vows of chastity. He thinks they take too much upon themselves. After all, our created purpose was to get married and fill the earth. However, there are people with the gift of singleness. The apostle Paul is an example. Those who are content with staying single don't have to get married. Single people have so much more freedom than married people. It is a little unclear if Zwingli believed in the gift of singleness, however, he did believe that God enabled chastity, as shown in thesis XXIX. It just struck me that he thought people were asking too much of themselves by taking a vow of chastity. I guess he doesn't trust people's self-control.
P.S. I commented on Will and Moriah's posts.
P.S. I commented on Will and Moriah's posts.
I like your blog post, Sophia! You have found a very interesting loophole in Zwingli's argument. I personally think that his beliefs about chastity are a little silly and not very biblical. But I agree, he does seem to take vows very seriously. But then again what if someone vowed to do something that was not their true purpose in life? Mistakes do happen, we are human after all.
ReplyDeleteI took it to mean he personally thought the vows of chastity were ridiculous, but that he believes a vow is important regardless of what he believes or not. It's not so such much the breaking of the particular vow perhaps, but the breaking of a vow to God that they swore to keep. I understand his point to mean that a vow to God should be kept no matter what, so even if it is impossible not to break, you are still ultimately at fault for what you did (which you would be anyone, but I think you get my point). I really liked your blog Sophia!
ReplyDeleteI do think vows are important. Personally I have no problem with someone taking a vow of chastity. The problem I have is when someone takes the vow and doesn’t stick to it. It even stated how clergymen weren’t allowed to get married yet the church was okay with them hiring prostitutes. That is just not okay in my opinion. I do respect the people who actually stick to it but I do think it is okay for anyone to marry even clergyman because marriage is a representation of Christ and the church.
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