Mark Ellison: Through a Glass Matrimonially: A Gold-Glass Medallion’s Participation in Early Christian Discourse on Marriage

A gold-glass medallion int he Ashmolean Museum, together with other material and literary evidence from early Christianity, demonstrates how images and objects owned by ordinary Christians participated in early Christian discourses—in this case, on the religious merit of marriage. From its origins, Christian thought was divided on whether marriage expressed the Creator’s purposes, or was now (anticipating the eschaton) a concession to weakness less meritorious than virginity, or a sin altogether. Opponents of extreme encratism appealed to the biblical creation story to argue for the good of marriage, and described married Christians as fulfillment of the divine blessing spoken to Adam and Eve, “increase and multiply” (Iren. Haer. 1.28.1;Thphl. Ant. Autol. 2.28). By the mid-fourth century, clergy were citing these words in nuptial rites, encouraging newlyweds to see themselves as successors of Adam and Eve, recipients of the same blessing (Ambrosiast. Quaest.127.2-3; P.-Nol. Carm. 25.27). The Ashmolean medallion depicts a married couple at its center amid biblical scenes, one of them Christ with Adam and Eve. Eve’s resemblance to the wife at center strengthens connection between the two pairs. Uniquely, Christ extends his wonder-working staff toward Eve and Adam. This “Fall” scene signals the redemption of not only humanity in general, but also the vessel’s owners—Christ blesses this couple, too. The images claim for the pair a place in salvation history among other recipients of divine favor, and resonate with early Christian texts, rites, and other artifacts that positively associate married Christians with Adam and Eve.