Marrying Body and Theology: A Reply to Lawler and Salzman

Abstract

In a recent article in this journal Michael G. Lawler and Todd A. Salzman provide an argument for recognizing same-sex civil marriages between believing Catholics as ‘sacramental’ in some significant sense. Their argument deals with major, perennial themes of Catholic moral theology to advance a quite novel position. Though the position’s underlying rationale is interesting for a host of reasons, the present response will focus on what is, in many respects, its determinative feature: the stance taken towards the theological (in)significance of embodiment. It is argued that Lawler and Salzman overlook the nature of marriage as a one flesh union, a nature taught by Jesus and which is independently credible on philosophical grounds. By sidelining the nuptial significance of one flesh union Lawler and Salzman embark on a path which not only fails to make sense of marriage but which also has disorienting implications for various other theological issues that are likewise inextricably bound up with the question of embodiment.