Augustine and the making of marriage in Roman North Africa

The aim of this paper is to determine to what extent, if any, Christians in North Africa in Augustine's day observed distinctively Christian marriage rituals. In the first part I review the evidence from the North African tradition prior to Augustine and conclude that no such rituals existed. The only specifically Christian practice appears to have been to seek approval of a marriage from a bishop. In the second part I examine the evidence from Augustine. This consists almost entirely of references to the "tabulae matrimoniales", dotal contracts that were read aloud at the family nuptials and signed by witnesses, including the bishop. The role of these contracts in forming marriages and their impact on Augustine's thought are then explored further.