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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Joan Writes:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Historically, marriage was until very recently an economic exchange of
goods, and that exchange was made between men. Women were chattel, property,
and those worth exchanging brought with them real goods -- gold, land, a herd
of goats. What we have gradually come to accept in more modern times is that
marriage is now a relationship between two people, not two fathers…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Joan,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I am open to see evidence for this claim outside of the Hebraic
tradition and I’m sure the Hebraic narrative is full of intersections
with its more general cultural contexts on this issue as well as any
other. However, as for the biblical text, I just can’t see how this
claim could be supported as is. In fact, my hypothesis is that the
author(s) of Genesis not only expressed marriage as a relationship between a
man and woman, but consciously contrasted legal marital tradition from the relational
‘essence’ of marriage. If this is even plausible, then your
thesis would be implausible. Not only do you have the beautiful story of Adam
and Eve, you have marriages formed through romantic attraction, familial
permission, feasting, and the all important sex. The first marriage ‘covenant’
we see in Genesis was actually between the man and the father (yet not between
father and father), but the story makes it clear that this was many years and many
children after the actual marital relationship had begun. And then
consider the prophets, who begin using marriage as theological metaphor, and
emphasize the passion, jealousy, and love in doing so; the law has to come in
on a separate Mosaic track. What do you think about this? I sincerely
look forward to your colorful response!....<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Michael Metzler <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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