Sex and a robust prayer life?

Michael Haykin  |  Features  |  history
Date posted:  1 Mar 2017
Share Add       
Sex and a robust prayer life?

Luther’s pastor, Joannes Bugenhagen

Reformation opponents saw its reinterpretation of the spirituality of marriage as one of its most scandalous aspects.

The standard line during the long medieval era had been that a robust Christian life could only be found in a state of celibacy. The early medieval author Bede (died 735) expressed this conviction when he maintained that the apostolic injunction to pray always could not be fulfilled if one was married and engaging in sexually intimate acts. Sex precluded a robust prayer life.

Not surprisingly the requirement of celibacy for vocational ministry led to an unbearable burden in the lives of many medieval priests, monks and nuns. Far too many of them were celibate but not chaste. The Reformation solution to this scandal of sexual immorality was to go back to the Scriptures and recover a truly biblical view of marriage.

Share
< Previous article| Features| Next article >
Read more articles by Michael Haykin >>
Features
Daniel McPhail and the revival at Osgoode: A ministry marked by prayer

Daniel McPhail and the revival at Osgoode: A ministry marked by prayer

Under the powerful ministry of Daniel McPhail’s preaching, the church at Osgoode flourished.When McPhail became the pastor of the …

Features
Daniel McPhail: The  reluctant pastor of Osgoode

Daniel McPhail: The reluctant pastor of Osgoode

It was during the Ottawa Valley revival of 1834–1835, which was narrated in last month’s column, that the Scottish-Canadian, Daniel …

Looking for a job?

Browse all our current job adverts

Search

New here?

Register and get three free articles each month!

Register