Divorce Myth, The [Paperback]

J. Carl Laney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1987

Challenging new examination of biblical evidence concerning divorce and remarriage. Author takes a no divorce-remarriage position.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. J. Carl Laney was educated at the University of Oregon (B.S. in Public Administration), Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (M.Div. in Biblical Literature), and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.D. in Bible Exposition). He has authored several books and many articles. Carl and his wife have three children and make their home in Potland, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871238926
• ISBN-13: 978-0871238924
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It makes you think about God's standards for marriage., April 18, 1999

By 

Philip J. Bohlken (Caldwell, Idaho) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Divorce Myth, The (Paperback)

Laney gives a thoughtful and understanding treatment of how pastors are tempted to be "pleasers" when asked to perform marriages for divorced people, but does not apologize for upholding God's original intent of one spouse until death do you part. He gives a critique of the pro's and con's on various interpretations of St. Matthew's "except for fornication" clause. His discussion of 1 Cor. 7:10f. cuts through a lot of rationalizations people use to justify another marriage in almost any circumstance. He has a helpful section for situations facing any pastor or counselor related to this area. In the end his position is reconcile with your mate, or remain single. He makes his arguments on the basis of a careful examination of the relevant Biblical texts. Every pastor ought read this book in arriving at a heartfelt conviction on what the divorce and remarriage passages mean for today. It is a courageous book in an all too permissive age.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A difficult topic handled with both truth and love, April 15, 2008

By 

G. T. Howell "neogalahad" (Elkridge, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Divorce Myth, The (Paperback)

There's no question that the subject of divorce is a hot potato in the church today. With the divorce rate among professing Christians actually WORSE than among unbelievers, it's an issue that affects nearly every congregation. I myself have two friends currently coping with the pain of pending divorces, and for them this is anything but a mere academic discussion!

In "The Divorce Myth" J. Carl Laney tackles the topic of divorce and remarriage with both compassion and a love for Biblical truth. He begins by discussing the foundations of marriage in Genesis, and continues through the Old Testament, concentrating on Moses' teaching in Deuteronomy as well as passages in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi.

He also covers Jesus' teaching in the Gospels and the teaching of Paul. This is really the meat of the book, and involves a discussion of what Jesus meant by the somewhat ambiguous phrase "except for fornication" in Matthew. Laney also deals with parallel passages in Mark and Luke, and discusses the reasons why the "exception clause" is left out of those two Gospels. Many will consider his views too narrow (he clearly swims against the tide of most evangelicals), but I found his reasoning to be based soundly on Scripture.

Laney closes the book by answering some objections to his view, and discusses how pastors should deal with the issue of divorce, both in counseling couples considering divorce and those who have already gone through it, demonstrating a genuine love for those who have been hurt.

Anyone who reads Laney's work should come away with a renewed respect for the institution of marriage, and have a godly fear of violating God's design for it. The book is fairly brief (in fact, I wish Laney had taken more time to deal with potential objections to his interpretations) and is written in a non-technical style. I recommend "The Divorce Myth" for anyone interested in what the Bible has to say about this issue. 4+1/2 stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patrick, January 15, 2011

By 

Patrick Mceldrew - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Divorce Myth - A Biblical Examination of Divorce and Remarriage (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book, it is well written and with clear biblical focus.
I think it is an excellent book for those contemplating marriage and I will pass this book along to my young adult daughters.