“Was Jesus Married?”

Jesus of Nazareth, Family Man: 

On the Decline of Marriage and Childrearing

by R. J. Snell

Many headlines of the last week announced a fourth century papyrus fragment containing the Coptic phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.…’” While some provocateurs used the occasion to belittle Christianity, commentary was mostly restrained, in keeping with the cryptic and scanty nature of the papyrus, its late date, and lack of additional support. This was hardly a bombshell, although it was the rare media outlet which restrained itself from asking “Was Jesus Married?”

Given how unremarkable the papyrus was, I found myself somewhat confused at all the attention given it, finally concluding that perhaps the media found marriage newsworthy in itself. Maybe the headline “Was Jesus Married?” meant something like “Marriage? Is That Still Around?”

To put this in context, the 2011 Canadian Census revealed that 44.5% of Canadian couples are “without children,” but only 39.2% “with children.” While the percentage of childless couples includes empty-nesters, the census reveals a striking decrease in marriage and childrearing. Almost one-third of Canadian families are either common-law or lone-parent, an increase of almost fourteen and eight percent respectively in a single decade—a significant demographic shift. As for children, a greater percentage (16.3%) now live with common-law parents than ever before.

In other words, while still the majority, fewer people are getting married, staying married, having children, and raising those children together. 

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