Theories Of Romantic Love

The core assumption of romantic love involves a combination of three innate behavioural systems: attachment, caregiving and sex (Mikulincer 2002: 23). The rules of love assigned specific roles to men and women, where men became a knight in shining armour, and later breadwinners. While women hold true to the roles of being damsel in distress, passive and dependent creatures in need of rescue (Simon, 1995:167). The complexity of religion can be explained as a set of beliefs govern by doctrines in creation from a supernatural agency, usually involving ritual practices and devotion and often contains a moral code regulating the conduct of human affairs . In this view, it seems that religion has an important say in the manipulation of romantic love

In fact, in Christianity, marriages are encouraged as it is understood that marital intimacy is a figure for the union between Christ and church (Browning: 2006: 87). However, sexual activities were only deemed morally right if it is taken place only in marriage, and that the marriage is faithfully monogamous. At this point, there is a strict regulation of romantic love present in Christianity. It is depicted that Christian spouses were to be moderate in their sexual relations, as its meaning was not to seek for pleasure but rather, procreation (Browning: 2006: 87). Procreation was thus the central rationale in any romantic relationship (Farley 2006:39). Take for instance King Henry VIII, who sought for a male heir to the throne, resulted in him marrying more than once (Matthews 2013:315). As such, from an evolutionary perspective, the major function of the sexual system is extremely effortful and goal-oriented (Mikulincer 2006: 34) which involves both individuals’ commitment of self-sacrificial to control and dedication. In the later years, specifically during the Protestant reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated that the sexual desires in Man needs no justification and hence was not considered sinful. However, such adherence was only on a basis that sexual desire, like all givens in creation, is good as long as it is channelled through marriage

Whereas in contemporary context, globalisation and religious pluralism, have opened doors to all varieties of religious unions and modification of practices. For instance, rules of divorce have become more lenient, Christians are becoming more liberal about same sex love due to present interpretations of the bible , and the increase in interfaith relationships . Thus as people are increasingly becoming more tolerant and accepting of other religious practices, we might be living in a world where romantic love can be compatible with the new changes in religious