Was He Married with Children? | Paul Gondreau

·42 min·4 clips

Did Jesus marry Mary Magdalene, as Dan Brown and Martin Scorsese imagined, or is the sober theological answer a definitive no?

The episode is a lecture by Paul Gondreau titled 'Was He Married with Children?' It begins by posing the question of Jesus's marital status, referencing popular culture like Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and Martin Scorsese's film. Gondreau quickly answers no from a theological perspective but uses this to delve into Christ's full humanity. He structures the talk in two parts: ontological and moral angles. First, he argues that Jesus's maleness is ontologically necessary, drawing from Aquinas, Hebrews, and the Council of Chalcedon. Gondreau discusses metaphysical biology, stating sex is a natural property of human nature. He then moves to neurobiology, explaining differences in male and female brains, such as testosterone circuits in males. This leads to the moral angle, where Gondreau presents Christ as the exemplum virtutis, mastering his sexuality through chastity and virginity. He analyzes Gospel accounts, showing Jesus's respectful interactions with women and his disregard for Jewish laws of Nagaya, which restricted gender interactions. Gondreau explains that Jesus promoted internal self-governance over external constraints. The talk concludes by considering if Jesus could have experienced sexual temptation, comparing it to his temptations in the desert. Gondreau distinguishes between natural appetites and sinful desires, affirming Christ's sinlessness. The lecture is dense with theological references and historical context, aimed at a scholarly audience.

As heard by us

A Thomistic case for Jesus' celibacy, built around chastity, desire, and the will.

The episode turns a provocative question about whether Jesus married and had children into a tighter reflection on the Incarnation, freedom, and chastity.

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Why you'd press play

You want the sober theological answer to whether Jesus was married with children.

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