The Church of England on Men and Women in Marriage

Faith and Order Commission of the Church of England, Men and Women in Marriage: A Document from the Faith and Order Commission Published with the Agreement of the House of Bishops of the Church of England and Approved for Study (London: Church House Publishing, 2013).

Earlier this week, the Faith and Order Commission of the Church of England published a short report – Men and Women in Marriage – setting out the church’s view of ‘the long-established meaning of marriage’.

The report begins with a reminder that in 2005, the Bishops stated the Church of England’s position in these words:

‘Marriage is a creation ordinance, a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace. Marriage, defined as a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, is central to the stability and health of human society. It continues to provide the best context for the raising of children.’

What follows in the report ‘is intended to enlarge on that summary, drawing on what has been said by the Church of England historically and more recently, and especially on how the sexual differentiation of men and women is a gift of God’.

The full report is available as a pdf here.