"To Witness and Bless: A Socio-Liturgical History of Marriage in the Episcopal Church"
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Authors
Jackson, David G.
Issue Date
2026-05
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
School of Theology Thesis 2026 , University of the South, Episcopal Church, matrimonial liturgy, United States, England
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis combines the fields of history, sociology, and liturgical analysis to demonstrate both how and why the matrimonial liturgy of the Episcopal Church in the United States evolved from its English colonial roots until the present day. It shows how structural change has come slowly, while the language and theology of the service have been modified repeatedly and deliberately as an expression of the church's understanding of marriage as well as the context in which it takes place. Attention is paid not just to the finished products of liturgical revision but also the processes that led to them and the surrounding cultural forces. The story of American marriage transforming from a means of subsistence and even survival in the 1600s to a mutual covenant of love and emotional support is told over multiple eras, culminating with the widespread approval of same-sex marriage and the new liturgical rites required to support it. Changes to the role of women in relationships and to attitudes toward marital sexuality are also narrated. It concludes with a discussion of the role of church weddings in modern society and offers several suggestions for future liturgical revision.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South