The place of family in Christian discipleship

Abstract

'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sister, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple' (LK. 14.26).Such words sum up a dilemma which has been at the heart of Christianity since its beginnings and which remains today for all who call themselves Christian disciples. The tension between family and discipleship is a constant reality for Christians. How can the ties of family and the demands of discipleship be reconciled? This study, having clarified what the words, family' and 'discipleship' mean, goes on to consider why tension has arisen so that one is regarded as antithetical to the other; whether there is, in fact, a real tension; and how that apparent tension might be resolved. By this means, it is hoped to show the inextricable link between family and discipleship and to build a case for a more positive relationship between them than that suggested, at first sight, by the text above.