What Makes a Marriage‪?‬

What is marriage? The complexity of the answer to this question is revealed in the moral dilemma which arises for African Christians who follow the traditional marriage custom of lobolo yet are forced to adhere to European civil and church customs.

For Dr. Onesimus A. Ngundu, African Christian marriage is the sole practical and pastoral response to this dilemma. In this thought-provoking study, Ngundu immerses readers in the history and theology of African marriage and its relationship to European customs in Zimbabwe from 1890-1970. African Christians faced disciplinary action by missionary societies for consummating their marriages after their traditional marriage customs and before the European civil and church customs. Ngundu condemns this as it is God who unites a man and woman in marriage, regardless of cultural customs. This well-presented argument has its foundations in the elements of marriage formation according to Christian theology, which are mutual consent, a covenantal life commitment, celebration, and consummation. Through literature reviews and qualitative research, this work paves a way forward presenting a proposal for an African Christian marriage ceremony.