The history of evolution of marriage

A review of From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and Law in the Western Tradition, by John Witte, Jr., is presented. In his book, Witte argues that in contemporary Western society, contractual freedom and sexual privacy reign supreme, with no real role for the state, church, or broader civil society to play, especially in the context of marriage law. From Sacrament to Contract depicts this degradation, giving a historical perspective of western marriage and family law over the last 500 years. It documents how current law concerning marriage has been changed from a consecrated sacrament to what is now a mere contract; from a holy institution mirroring the relationship between Christ and His Church to an individual decision affecting no one but the parties to the contract.