Bride of Christ

"Mystical marriage" redirects here. For Catherine of Siena or Katherine of Alexandria in particular, see mystical marriage of Saint Catherine. For other uses, see Bride of Christ (disambiguation).

The bride of Christ, or the lamb's wife, is a metaphor used in a number of related verses in the Christian Bible, specifically the New Testament – in the Gospels, the Book of Revelation, the Epistles, with related verses in the Old Testament.

The identity of the bride is generally considered within Christian theology to be the church, with Jesus as the bridegroom; Ephesians 5:22–33 in particular compares the union of husband and wife to that of Christ and the church. It is a favorite ecclesial image. Interpretations of the metaphor's usage vary from church to church, with most believing that it always refers to the church.

The set of Christian beliefs that use wedding imagery are known as bridal theology. The New Testament often portrays communion with Jesus as a marriage, and God's reign as a wedding banquet. This tradition in turn traces back to the Hebrew Bible, especially allegorical interpretations of the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon).

In Christianity, bridal theology plays a role in the lives of those who become Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican nuns and religious sisters; for this reason, nuns and religious sisters are often termed "brides of Christ". Additionally, those who dedicate their lives as consecrated virgins live as a "spouse of Christ", spending their lives devoted to serving in the local church and praying for all the faithful (being gifted a breviary after undergoing the rite). Christian women in general have been described as brides of Christ. Bridal theology has influenced the works of, among others, Henry Suso, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, Gregory the Great and Bernard of Clairvaux.

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