Voluntary Childlessness as Resistance
A Cross-Cultural Interpretation of θλῖψις τῇ σαρκί in 1 Corinthians 7:28
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11367683 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Chen (0009-0005-0071-258X, PhD Student (New Testament), Department of Religious Studies, Duke University Durham, NC USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 89-108 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Horizons in Biblical Theology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0195-9085 • E-ISSN: 1871-2207 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/18712207-12341499 |
| OpenAlex | W4410386128 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 3 |
Paul believes it is better for the Corinthian assembly not to marry (1 Cor 7:25–35). According to him, one disadvantage of marriage is that the married will experience “affliction in flesh” ( θλῖψις τῇ σαρκί , 7:28). I offer a contextual interpretation of Paul’s discussion on marriage through the lens of voluntary childlessness in contemporary China, which I argue can serve as a subversive form of resistance. During 2020–2022, some unborn children in China were lost due to the anti- Covid measures. In response, numerous Chinese netizens declared, “This will be our last generation,” promoting voluntary childlessness as a form of protest. I suggest that this trend can illuminate Paul’s preference for a marriage-free life. His advice for the Corinthian virgins to abstain from marriage – and presumably from procreation – can be interpreted as a subtle critique of the Roman marriage legislation promoting procreation
Biblical studies · Biology · Childlessness · Linguistics · Sociology · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Demography · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Ecology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |