Marriage and Partnership in Modern Protestant Denominations: From Christian Canons to New Norms

Introduction. The problem of recognition of same-sex marriages and partnerships in recent decades has become particularly acute in public discourse. Polar points of view are expressed: from the inadmissibility of homosexual marriages to the legalization of same-sex relationships and the need for church consecration of such unions. Christian churches today are forced to publicly state their position regarding homosexual marriages and partnerships, defining the boundaries of interaction between parishioners and clergymen who are faced with such issues. Some Protestant denominations in Europe and America recognize same-sex marriages, arguing their position not with the canonical norms of Christianity, but with the concept of human rights, freedom of choice and individual autonomy, as well as the laws of those countries where such unions are already legalized. The purpose of the article is to study the approaches that have developed in various Protestant denominations regarding the problem of recognizing same-sex marriages and partnerships. Materials and Methods. Analysis of doctrinal documents, social concepts of Protestant churches, content analysis of public statements of representatives of various Protestant communities made it possible to identify the peculiarities of attitudes towards the problem of same-sex marriages and partnerships at the present stage. Results. The positions of various Protestant denominations regarding same-sex marriages and partnerships are presented, the main approaches to the processes of regulation of this problem in the church are identified. These approaches are due to the influence of secular legislation and the prevailing system of values in countries where Protestantism is widespread. Discussion and Conclusion. Changing the norms and disciplinary rules in both secular and church life is a natural process of social development. The norms governing relations between the sexes, issues of marriage and the family, the rules that set the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in social behavior, have always been the subject of discussion, change, abolition and recognition. The problem of same-sex marriage and recognition from Christian churches, on the one hand, demonstrates a normative transformation in morality, religion and law, on the other hand, characterizes the rejection of Christian canons in favor of the concept of human rights and “new ethics”.