The Mysteries of Christianity
| Authors | Scheeben, Matthias Joseph Vollert, Cyril O., S.J. |
| Tags | Catholic Church -- Doctrines, Catholic Church, Doctrinal Theology, Christianity -- Essence genius nature |
| Publisher | B. Herder Book Co. |
| Published | 10 mar 1946 |
| Date | 10 mar 2020 |
| Languages | eng |
| Identifiers | uri: https://archive.org/details/mysteriesofchris0000sche, oclc: 1245637964, lcn: BX 1751 S313, Amazon.com, google: vA9jPQAACAAJ, isbn: 9780824524302 |
| Formats | PDF, PDF_OCR |
Description
In this work, Scheeben understands the Church in terms of marriage; cf. Jaki, New Trends in Ecclesiology, passim.
cf. PDF excerpt courtesy Bellarmine Forums: The Mysteries of Christianity, Chapter XIX, The Mystery of the Church [Rev. Fr. Scheeben].pdf
plus
pp. 593-610 (PDF pp. ): "§85. The mystery or sacramentality of Christian marriage"
The Mysteries of Christianity , a definitive work in the evolution of Western Catholic thought, continues to inspire and challenge a new generation of Catholics seeking a logically rigorous and heartfelt presentation of the truths of the Catholic faith. **
Δὲ is indeed an adversative particle in Eph. 5:32. St. Paul is not comparing Christ's union with His Spouse the Church to human marriage but to the union between two virgins. (1 Cor. 7:14 seems to be a better proof that matrimony confers grace, but I haven't seen theologians using that verse to prove it's a sacrament.)
Scheeben's Mysteries of Christianity pp. 593-610 "§85. The Mystery or Sacramentality of Christian Marriage" (esp. pp. 601-2 // PDF pp. 616-7) explains that Christian marriage isn't simply an empty symbol, but
an image of it growing out of the union of Christ with the Church, an image based upon this union and pervaded by it. For it not only symbolizes the mystery but really represents it. It represents the mystery because the mystery proves active and operative in it.
This is the way the Apostle intends it to be understood. He does not set out the illustrate the union between Christ and the Church from the nature of matrimony. [Hence why he used the adversative δὲ!]. […]
[…] their union presupposes the union of Christ with His Church [just like human fatherhood is named (nominatur) from the Father, not vice versa (Eph. 3:15)]
I'm impressed by Scheeben's ecclesiological perspective on matrimony. He also does a good job comparing Christian marriage to Adam & Eve's prelapsarian marriage—e.g., Christian marriage being "far more fitted to transmit grace than marriage as in Paradise." (p. 604 // PDF p. 620).
Interesting explanation (ibid.):
the children of Christian parents are not born in grace [∵] the God-man […] does not wish to combine His supernatural fruitfulness in the Church with natural fertility […] He desires to bring about the rebirth of the fruit of the flesh not in the flesh, but in the virginal womb of the Church.