Oikonomia, divorce and remarriage in the Eastern Orthodox tradition

Abstract

How do the Eastern Orthodox Churches understand the mystery of matrimony? On what grounds do they concede ecclesiastical divorce and tolerate a new marriage? What is 'oikonomia' and how is it invoked in the Orthodox East? Is the Orthodox position compatible with the Catholic approach to the indissolubility of marriage? Over the last decades, these questions were the subject of numerous studies. This volume builds on this research and attempts to offer a comprehensive systematic answer to these questions. By doing so, it adds to the already rich tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. It also presents the Western Churches with a valuable resource in their pursuit of ecumenical dialogue, their dealing with the ever-growing reality of mixed marriages, and their ministry to the divorced and remarried members of their faithful.