Divorce and Remarriage: Introduction
Why would I want to blog about this?
1) It’s prevalent. With a divorce rate over 50%, it’s obviously all over. Self-identifying Christians do not have a significantly lower divorce rate.
2) It’s important. Divorce and remarriage affect families, the most important human institutions. Such issues cannot be left unaddressed.
3) It’s polarizing. I love a good discussion, and this one will be structured to encourage comments. I honestly want to know what people think, and more importantly, why they think it.
4) It steps to my next series on Biblical authority. You’ll see how it does!
5) It’s personal. Neither I nor Mrs. Hammer have escaped this issue. It’s not only meaningful in the abstract, or meaningful to society at large, but it's meaningful to us.
There are two main parts to the series – the first will address the Biblical mandates and guidance for divorce and remarriage, the second the relation of this to church leadership. Each main point will have two to three sub-posts within it. The primary references will be the Bible for guidance and social and psychological research for evidence of the truth of the guidance. I intend to present some Biblical texts, my understanding of those texts, and ask what and why others think. I will follow that with a summary of the points presented and a conclusion for it.
I am looking forward to the discussion. Some of us have family members and friends who are going through marriage, divorce and remarriage as we speak. Their views can certainly be helpful – and perhaps our views will be to them, as well.
1) It’s prevalent. With a divorce rate over 50%, it’s obviously all over. Self-identifying Christians do not have a significantly lower divorce rate.
2) It’s important. Divorce and remarriage affect families, the most important human institutions. Such issues cannot be left unaddressed.
3) It’s polarizing. I love a good discussion, and this one will be structured to encourage comments. I honestly want to know what people think, and more importantly, why they think it.
4) It steps to my next series on Biblical authority. You’ll see how it does!
5) It’s personal. Neither I nor Mrs. Hammer have escaped this issue. It’s not only meaningful in the abstract, or meaningful to society at large, but it's meaningful to us.
There are two main parts to the series – the first will address the Biblical mandates and guidance for divorce and remarriage, the second the relation of this to church leadership. Each main point will have two to three sub-posts within it. The primary references will be the Bible for guidance and social and psychological research for evidence of the truth of the guidance. I intend to present some Biblical texts, my understanding of those texts, and ask what and why others think. I will follow that with a summary of the points presented and a conclusion for it.
I am looking forward to the discussion. Some of us have family members and friends who are going through marriage, divorce and remarriage as we speak. Their views can certainly be helpful – and perhaps our views will be to them, as well.
posted by Hammertime at
7/10/2006 04:00:00 PM
3 Comments:
I am looking forward to this. It's quite an emotive issue. I'm tempted to set some of my thoughts out right here and now - but I'll wait! I think that I will find it hard to marry (ha ha) the theological perspective on this with what I feel is in the best interests of humankind.... but then again, maybe I won't.
This should be really interesting!
By
Ruth, at 7/11/2006 02:38:00 AM
Looking forward to the series. This touches most of our lives in one way or another. Unequal yolking of Christians and non-Christians is one particular way to set up a marriage for failure.
Absolutely nothing can merge, coexist and flourish, in a marriage where one of the partners has an unequal destiny.
By
Rightthinker, at 7/12/2006 12:21:00 PM
Leslie McFall has an interesting way to deal with the so-called exception clause in Matthew 19:9 that appears to allow for divorce and remarriage for marriage unfaithfulness.
He has written a 43 page paper that reviews the changes in the Greek made by Erasmus that effect the way Matthew 19:9 has been translated. I reviewed McFall's paper at Except For Fornication Clause of Matthew 19:9. I would love to hear some feedback on this position.
By
Anonymous, at 11/23/2008 11:25:00 PM
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