Abstract
According to medieval canon law, a marriage could be declared invalid if the consent had been given through force or fear. This ruling was a natural consequence of the insistence on free consent as the only requirement for a valid marriage. It did, however, entail a number of both practical and theoretical problems. It could be difficult to prove force and fear within the family, but also to define what should count as sufficient force and fear to render a marriage invalid.
In this article I examine the post-Tridentine discussion of force and fear as impediment to marriage, with special focus on Tómas Sánchez and his very influential De sancto matrimonii sacramento from 1603. A key element in Tómas discussion of force and fear is the relationship between parents and children, and how it influences the freedom of consent. How should force and fear be assessed in to relation to the "reverential fear", timor reverentialis, that children feel (and ought to feel) towards their parents, and how can filial duty be combined with their right to free choice in marriage?
In this article I examine the post-Tridentine discussion of force and fear as impediment to marriage, with special focus on Tómas Sánchez and his very influential De sancto matrimonii sacramento from 1603. A key element in Tómas discussion of force and fear is the relationship between parents and children, and how it influences the freedom of consent. How should force and fear be assessed in to relation to the "reverential fear", timor reverentialis, that children feel (and ought to feel) towards their parents, and how can filial duty be combined with their right to free choice in marriage?
Original language | Swedish |
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Title of host publication | Dygder och laster. Förmoderna perspektiv på tillvaron |
Editors | Catharina Stenqvist, Marie Lindstedt cronberg |
Publisher | Nordic Academic Press |
Pages | 78-94 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-91-85509-44-7 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- History of Ideas
Free keywords
- Marriage
- consent
- force and fear
- Canon Law
- Tomás Sánchez
- reverential fear