Oaths and vows are “bigger than life” promises. Presumably, the consequences of breaking a vow or an oath are larger than that of breaking a “mere promise.”
Have you been able to make a distinction among agreeing, promising and vowing / making an oath? What are the practical implications of vows and oaths? Should we simply rely on giving our words and have that be enough – both in terms of what we do and in terms of what we expect?
What would you counsel a person coming of age in our culture about promising and the making of oaths and vows? Are oaths and vows antiquated and outdated?