My Sister, My Bride: Marriage, Divorce, Annulments, and Oikonomia - Softcover

The Roman Catholic practice of annulments and the Eastern Orthodox practice of oikonomia, or economia, are not incompatible with one another, but actually compliment each other. One works from the western perspective and one works from the eastern perspective. When viewed from the wrong perspective, they are not understood correctly because they only work within the theological context they developed. However, once the complementarity of annulments and oikonomia is known, a solution to the present crisis regarding marriage in the Catholic Church is conceived.

Much like the solution to the problem of the Immaculate Conception in the middle ages, it took a dunce to discover an unusual way to interpret Matthew 5:32 that solves the theological debates over marriage raging in the Catholic Church today. However, since the author is an idiot as well as a dunce, this book has a number of other solutions to various problems that have plagued the Church during more than a millennium.

This book appears to have the answers that will assist Francis fulfil the words of Christ: “Go, Francis, and repair my Church which, as you see, is falling into ruin.”

This book compares the Roman Catholic practice of annulments with the Eastern Orthodox practice of oikonomia. It explains how oikonomia is incompatible with Roman Catholic theology, and also how annulments are incompatible with Eastern Orthodox theology, including the parts of the Eastern Orthodox Churches that are in full visible union with Rome. However, when both the Catholic and Orthodox perspectives are viewed as complementary rather than contradictory, a fuller understanding of the Church’s teaching is had. In explaining how the Catholic and Orthodox perspectives are complementary, a solution arises for the confusion and controversy regarding marriage and annulments in the Catholic Church. A theological explanation for, and clarification to, how oikonomia effectively operates for the Eastern Churches is also suggested. The main topic of this book is marriage and remarriage after divorce; however, the secondary topic is ecumenism and full visible union of the Church. A complementary explanation for differences in doctrine is given for what are commonly assumed are contradictory doctrines. Additionally, an explanation for the Dogma of Papal Infallibility and how the Orthodox can see this as something orthodox is suggested. While parts of the book are theologically dense and many aspects are alluded to without elaboration, most of this book is written for the average person with down to earth examples and a bit of humour. The small size of this book is intended to make it more accessible to a wider audience with the hope that it will stimulate further contemplation, study, and discussion.