ABSTRACT
The partnership of husband and wife had a number of purposes. Christian teaching gave prominence to three of these: the procreation of children, the regulation of sexual activity, and mutual comfort and support. The medieval scholastic synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian scientific ideas drew a sharp distinction between the equality of immortal souls, irrespective of sex, and earthly inequality. The chapter explores the extent of marital partnership and co-operation in four important areas: conjugal love, work, leisure and religion. Economic partnership between man and woman grew increasingly precarious towards the lower end of the social scale, yet it was to be found even at its very bottom. Married couples spent a great deal of their leisure together, either in company or alone, despite the existence of sports and pastimes proper to each sex and the importance in social life of groups of men and women friends.
