Bride of Christ

For other uses, see Bride of Christ (disambiguation).
An 1880 Baxter process illustration of Revelation 22:17 by Joseph Martin Kronheim

The bride of Christ, or the lamb's wife,[1] is a metaphor used in number of related verses in the Christian Bible, specifically the New Testament – in the Gospels, the Book of Revelation, the Epistles, with related verses in the Old Testament.

The identity of the bride is generally considered within Christian theology to be the church, with Jesus as the bridegroom; Ephesians 5:22–33 in particular compares the union of husband and wife to that of Christ and the church. It is a favorite ecclesial image.[2] Interpretations of the metaphor's usage vary from church to church, with most believing that it always refers to the church.

The set of Christian beliefs that use wedding imagery are known as bridal theology. the New Testament portrayal of communion with Jesus as a marriage, and God's reign as a wedding banquet.[3] This tradition in turn traces back to the Hebrew Bible, especially allegorical interpretations of the erotic Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon).[4]

In Christianity, bridal theology plays a role in the lives of those who become Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican nuns and religious sisters; for this reason, nuns and religious sisters are often termed "brides of Christ".[5][6] Additionally, those who dedicate their lives as consecrated virgins live as a "spouse of Christ", spending their lives devoted to serving in the local church and praying for all the faithful (being gifted a breviary after undergoing the rite).[7][8] Expanding on this, in The Harvard Ichthus, Jane Thomas explained that in a sense, all Christian women are brides of Christ:[6]

Just as these Sisters are the brides of Christ, so too is every married woman (whether she sees it or not), for just as Jesus dwells in school children, so too does he dwell in the husband of a married woman. In this way, she too is married to Christ. Paul's instruction, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Ep 5:22), is more than just a metaphor meant to illustrate a degree of submission. Rather, he is describing a spiritual reality, contingent on Christ's indwelling in the husband. And who is the person to whom the wife submits? A man who loved his bride the church so much that he died for her sake. [...] If I am called to marriage, then I am called to love Jesus and minister to Jesus by pouring out my love to one man, my husband. When I make him laugh, when I bring him joy, when I love him even at his worst, I am doing these things to Jesus.[6]

Bridal theology has influenced the works of, among others, Henry Suso, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, Gregory the Great and Bernard of Clairvaux.[3]

  1. ^ Revelation 21:9 in the King James Version.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Osiek was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Kenda, Creasy Dean (2004). Practicing passion: youth and the quest for a passionate church. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Pub. pp. 124–126. ISBN 0-8028-4712-9.
  4. ^ Balthasar, Hans Urs von; Fessio, Joseph; Riches, John Kenneth (1983). The glory of the Lord: a theological aesthetics. San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 0-89870-249-6.
  5. ^ Burns, Helena (5 November 2014). "What Is It Like Being Married to Jesus?". Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Thomas, Jane (6 September 2017). "Loving Jesus Back: Nuns Really Do Get Married". The Harvard Ichthus. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Story of a Consecrated Virigin". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Indiana woman becomes rare consecrated virgin". CBS News. Retrieved 10 April 2022.