The Consumerist Moral Babel of the Post-Modern Family

Abstract

This paper offers a conceptual geography of the collision between the traditional Christian family, grounded in an experience of God, and the banality of its secular counterpart. Throughout the analysis, I appeal to an objective, fully canonical, binding standpoint: the God’s-eye perspective of Orthodox Christianity. The Christian family is not rightly understood as a culturally and historically conditioned social construction, created by a set of individuals, each seeking one’s own particular account of self-satisfaction. This paper embraces the Orthodox Christian recognition that the marital relationship should orient the couple, and their children, towards God and salvation. Everything, including the sexual union of husband and wife, as well as the conceiving and raising of children, is to be done in a way that is compatible with approaching holiness. Christians know that the family is a sacramental relationship forged with the blessing of God and only properly oriented towards Him.