Customer Reviews

Divorce and Remarriage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The author of this study believed for many years that there was no possibility of remarriage following divorce. His study of the Greek and his familiarity with the Greek text led him to change his mind eventually. He came to believe that the innocent party to a divorce could remarry. He sites scripture to prove his point. This is more than a study of the separation which divorce brings. It reaches out to discuss how to treat those who are divorced. Frequently they appear to be second class citizens in the congregation of the faithful. The study is illuminated with the authors pastoral concern for all who are involved. How are fellow church members to treat divorcees?
Fourteen brief chapters are included in this study beginning with a statement of purpose. Christs divorce law in Matthew 5:32 is discussed in the second chapter. The discussion continues with a study of the Jewish writing on divorcement. Does Put Away mean Dissolution? Chapters five and six discuss fornication. Chapter seven discusses Christs divorce law as seen in Matthew 19:9. Chapters 8 and 9 look at the meaning of fornication. The meanings of Romans 7:1-4 is taken up in chapter 10. I Corinthians 7: 10-15 is the theme of chapter 11. Chapter 12 gives the views of the church fathers on marriage and divorce. Chapter 13 discusses replies to objections and chapter 14 provides a summary of the evidence. A good bibliography of older books relating to the subject is also provided.

While this study was written some years go, it deserves attention as more and more churches are faced with divorces in their congregations. Both laymen and pastors will find the study enlightening and helpful

Guy Duty's book is a simple, somewhat inelegantly written book which supports the view that adultery and desertion break the marriage bond in a way that frees the innocent party to remarry. This is the first book that I ever read on the topic (the date of this review does not reflect when I first read the book) and it does an excellent job of bringing up many of the main issues in this debate.

Chapter titles include but are not limited to:

"Christ's Divorce Law in Matthew 5:32,"

"Does 'Put Away' Mean Dissolution?"
"'Except It Be For Fornication',"
"Are Fornication Exceptions Genuine?" and
"The Church Fathers' Views on Divorce and Remarriage."

There are 14 chapters in all.

Duty has clearly done some good, thorough research on this topic before writing it, and he is overall very comprehensive with good use of documentation throughout to support his position. The reason that I have given this book only four stars instead of five is that while I agree with his conclusions, I don't believe that he's gone far enough in showing that breaches in any of the four marriage vows becomes a ground for divorce, not simply adultry and desertion.

For a much fuller understanding of this topic, I would recommend Dr. David Instone-Brewer's book "Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context" (Eerdmans, 2002), or for a much more brief look at the subject also by Instone-Brewer, see "Divorce and Remarriage in the Church: Biblical Solutions for Pastoral Realities" (Paternoster Press, 2003) available at Amazon.co.uk.

Having read the New Testament (and Old!) references to divorce, listened to several ministers' interpretations, and read other books on the subject, I was confused! Was divorce & remarriage ever permitted in a Christian's life? If so, under what circumstances? When was it sinful? What did Jesus mean in His teachings in the Gospels? This book held all the answers and sent me back again and again to verify the content and context in Scripture. I highly recommend this book to all who are struggling with this issue and just want the Truth. It truly is Godly Counsel.

This book brings most of the arguments against remarriage out into the open and effectively refutes them with evidence that is credible. Most of the negative reviews, which are few, seem to be nothing more than sour grapes. Let the nay-sayers try to refute Duty's evidence rather than attack his style. I dare say they know it would be impossible.

Before my boyfriend and I even thought about getting married we were unsure if we ever could because he has been divorced and this would be my first marriage. We went over and over the Bible ever worried that we would see only what we wanted to see or pass over what we were seeking.
Then our Pastor gave us this book.
My husband and I have been married since 1999.

This book advocates adultery. For a treatment on how remarriage after divorce while the original spouse is still living is always adultery, see [...].

This book is jsut a compilation of quotations in order to prove his points. It is good to have it because I see a different point to view. However, I would not buy any book written by him next time. Although I understand his arguments and agree with some points in the book, the style of his writing is very poor. My former English teacher would give D to a term paper written in this manner. Just too many quoations. Why doesn't he write in his own words when he refers to somebody else?