La motivation évangélique du célibat
As recent controversies have revealed, the value of celibacy must be considered in terms of its motivation. This study aims at determining through gospel texts the motive expressed by Christ himself. The comparison with the Essene custom helps to illustrate the true meaning and the originality of th...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | French |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Ed. Pontificia Univ. Gregoriana
1972
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| In: |
Gregorianum
Year: 1972, Volume: 53, Issue: 4, Pages: 731-758 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | As recent controversies have revealed, the value of celibacy must be considered in terms of its motivation. This study aims at determining through gospel texts the motive expressed by Christ himself. The comparison with the Essene custom helps to illustrate the true meaning and the originality of this motive. There is certainly a similarity between Essene continence and Christian celibacy. In both cases there is an awareness of an eschatological and present nearness of God. However the differences are considerable, because Essene practice is governed by rules of ritual purity. Now we maintain that far from wishing to impose on his disciples rules of this type, Jesus stresses the spirit and interior attitudes. In the logion of Mt. 19, 10-12, which seems to transmit the words of Jesus in their primitive Semitic form, words addressed rather to adversaries than disciples, a definitive celibacy is envisioned in the voluntary condition of the eunuch, and its motive is clearly expressed: « because of the kingdom of heaven. » The kingdom is not only the envisioned end, as the traditional translation expresses it: « with a view to the kingdom of heaven. » It is the active cause which takes hold of a person and impells him to follow this way. Jesus underscores the fact that at the origin of voluntary celibacy there is a divine gift which is not given to everyone. Hence among the Essenes continence appeared above all as the result of asceticism, whereas Christian celibacy is primarily a mystique. The boldness of Jesus' thought lies in its renunciation of procreation, which was regarded by the Jews as a basic human duty. This renunciation is required by the kingdom which takes the individual in his entire availability and assures a fecundity on a higher level. We must note also the stress placed on the free option and on the intention not to discredit marriage. Celibacy freely undertaken for the kingdom is destined to support domestic fidelity, and it is considered as a sacrifice which emphasizes the value of matrimonial union. The Lucan version (18, 29): « leave wife because of the kingdom of God » confirms that of Matthew, with the advantage of locating voluntary celibacy in a more general attitude which consists in abandoning everything to follow Christ. From the analysis of this text, it seems that one can conclude that Jesus has historically mentioned « wife and children » in renunciation of the family, and he means not the fact of leaving home but the renunciation of establishing a home. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gregorianum
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