RT Article
T1 The Church of England’s exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage: Some problems with Oliver O’Donovan’s influence and arguments
JF Theology
VO 119
IS 3
SP 172
OP 184
A1 Simpkins, Matthew
A1 O'Donovan, Oliver 1945-
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2016
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1559826207
AB Behind the Church of England’s public statements on marriage, such as Men and Women in Marriage, lies the thought of ethicist Oliver O’Donovan. This article highlights the influence of O’Donovan’s arguments concerning ‘sexual dimorphism’ (male/female physiological opposition) and ‘openness to procreation’ upon the Church’s case for the heterosexual exclusivity of marriage, by showing how they fill in the gaps in the reasoning of Men and Women in Marriage. These arguments, however, are ideologically conservative, fail to meet O’Donovan’s own standard for the admissibility of natural claims and do not convince that sexual opposition is an essential requirement for fidelity, permanent mutuality or openness to procreation - the Church of England’s three goods of marriage.
DO 10.1177/0040571X15623702