Augustine is, even today, one of the most profound influences on Christian theology and thought. In his book On the Good of Marriage, he argues that marriage does not derive its goodness merely from procreation, but rather, that the divinely sanctioned permanent companionship of marriage demonstrates that it is a good thing.

. . . regarding the good of marriage, which even the Lord confirmed in the Gospel,1 not only because He forbade the dismissal of a wife except for fornication, but also because He came to the marriage when invited,2 there is merit in inquiring why it is a good . . . This does not seem to me to be a good solely because of the procreation of children, but also because of the natural companionship between the two sexes. Otherwise, we could not speak of marriage in the case of old people, especially if they had either lost their children or had begotten none at all. But, in a good marriage, although one of many years, even if the ardour of youths has cooled between man and woman, the order of charity still flourishes between husband and wife.3
Footnotes:
1

Matthew 19:9.
2

John 2.
3

Augustine, The Good of Marriage, trans. Charles T. Wilcox, in The Fathers of the Church, St. Augustine, Treatises on Marriage and Other Subjects (Washington, Catholic University of America Press, 1955), 12. In other translations see Chapter 3.

article adapted from Kairos Journal

First Baptist Church of Perryville is located at 4800 W. Pulaski Hwy., Perryville, MD across from the Principio Health Center.