Jesus and Divorce: The Problem With the Evangelical Consensus [Paperback]

William A. Heth (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc (July 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0840759622
• ISBN-13: 978-0840759627
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #737,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biblically and Historically Coherent, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jesus and Divorce: The Problem With the Evangelical Consensus (Paperback)

Heth and Wenham's work is very important because it debunks the view of of marriage, divorce and remarriage that is held widely by today's Evangelical Church. The authors compellingly demonstrate how the modern evangelical consensus has it origins in the humanist Erasmus, which view was championed by the reformers as a means of overthrowing the marriage-as-sacrament position of the Roman Catholic Church. Heth and Wenham show that in following the humanist approach, the reformers depart from a biblically and historically sound understanding of divorce and remarriage. The analysis of the Fathers through the first five centuries is very decisive and difficult to refute. An excellent treatment of the porneia "exception clauses" in Matthew's Gospel is also very helpful. A must read for anyone who is wrestling with the question of divorce and remarriage.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Against the evangelial serial monogamy consensus!, April 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Newport Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus and Divorce: The Problem With the Evangelical Consensus (Paperback)

If you are tired of biblical rationales for spousal abandonment and serial monogamy, you must read this book. Thoroughly documented and supports a distinctly biblical and early church position, though continues with the Protestant nonsacramental view of marriage. Every pastor should have this one in his library before he preaches on divorce or before he counsels on divorce.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well reasoned, excellently researched...and wrong!, February 10, 2001

By 

E. Martin "scalawagg" (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus and Divorce: The Problem With the Evangelical Consensus (Paperback)

Make no mistake. This book *deserves* five stars. It *is* the best case made for the "no remarriage" position among Protestants and quite possibly the best case that will and can ever be made for it and anyone serious about studying this matter, must familiarise themselves with it. However, it is not the last word on the matter.

For anyone seeking the Lord's will on the matter, they would do well to *also* read Craig Keener's ...AND MARRIES ANOTHER and *especially* Dr. David Instone-Brewer's writings on Divorce and Remarriage available in online form at www.Instone-Brewer.com.

For all its considerable strengths JESUS AND DIVORCE suffers from several "sins of omission."

1. For all its attention to the Church fathers, it neglects to mention that Origen and Augustine, while also arguing against "remarriage" wondered aloud about how serious a sin it should be considered.

2. The book neglects the Eastern Orthodox canon law which allows for remarriage "as a concession" on the basis of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians and so leaves the incorrect impression that there was no difference of opinion in the church until Erasmus.

3. Similarly, it neglects the early Anabaptists many of whom allowed for remarriage in the case of being "unequally yoked" with non-Anabaptists as well as in the case of adultery. Whatever the merits of their arguments they probably did not derive from Erasmus. 4. The allowance for divorce (and remarriage) independent of Deut. 24 on the basis of being denied "food, clothing, and love" (Exodus 21:10,11). (It is on *this* basis that God quite literally divorces Israel in Jeremiah 3!)

Finally, for all their uncompromising tone Heth and Wenham "wimp out" toward the end. In the interests of consistency they should insist on the "breaking up" of "adulterous marriages" before being recieved into the church. As it is they settle for denying leadership positions and basically consigning the remarried to "second-class citizenship" where they can have their guilt lorded over them for the rest of their lives.

This is hardly surprising, only Conservative Mennonites and other "plain Anabaptists" (Hutterites, Amish) seem to have the courage other their consistency in this matter.

Therefore let it be the first (or second) book you read, but don't let it be your last!