Remarriage after Divorce in Today's Church: 3 Views

Counterpoints

by Mark L. Strauss (Editor), Gordon John Wenham (Contributor), William A. Heth (Contributor)

Despite a strong belief in the institution and sacredness of marriage, studies show that Christian spouses experience divorce at least as much as the secular population.

But whatever the reasons for a divorce--beyond the divorce itself--many Christians want to know: does the Bible support remarriage?

The fact is that no consensus exists among evangelicals on their views of remarriage, leaving many Christians confused. This Counterpoints volume explores the biblical and practical cases for the three main evangelical views on remarriage after divorce:


Remarriage is not acceptable after divorce - defended by Gordon J. Wenham
Remarriage is acceptable only after adultery or desertion - defended by William A. Heth
Remarriage is acceptable for a variety of reasons - defended by Craig S. Keener
Each of the three contributors offers his point of view succinctly and with biblical support, and each interacts with the others to help readers come to their own conclusions.

The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Genres: Theology, Marriage, Christian, Family, Religion, Christian Living, Christianity

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Mark Lehman Strauss is an American biblical scholar and professor of the New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, which is part of Bethel University, Minnesota. His areas of expertise include New Testament Gospels and Bible translation.

Reviews

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book. They admit that not every position is covered in this, but they all help to bring different and strongly opposed views in one volume in a cordial manner.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more focused but less in-depth book on this topic otherwise similar in format to the Spectrum book I recently reviewed. The contributors this time are a little more even in their contributions, and all make good points. Wenham probably makes the best case I have seen for no-remarriage, but Keener's rhetorical analysis of Jesus and Paul's words also makes a very strong case for exceptions besides adultery and desertion. The contributors to this volume were a little more reluctant to take each other on, but still a helpful book.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful tool for a broad stroke on the subject. Not a lot of detail and because they are responding to one another there is often a lot of repeated material. Basically it allows for what the series was intended, a broad stroke of perspectives that make be different than your own. There is no clear right or wrong in this case however. It offers 3 views and no conclusions.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book with arguments for three of the many perspectives on divorce and remarriage. Each author argues well for their perspective and is respectful and kind in their responses to each other and emphasize their points of agreement despite arguing different views - almost to a fault. Helpful references to more in-depth literature.

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating topic with essays from three very interesting scholars. What I liked about this is that each of these men are conservative in their views on divorce, the Bible, and the Christian faith at large. As a result, all three of them a very similar. The difference is what they believe about remarriage after a legitimate divorce.

I won’t say which one I fall into right now. But I will say that this was the first time I went into a book like this pretty strongly believing one position, but then leaving the book believing another.

A really helpful read. Dense at times. But worth it, especially for pastoral ministry.

[Jeff Brawner · Rating 4 out of 5]

For both ministers and laypersons, there are two “rights” they should long to keep- right orthodoxy (belief) and right orthopraxy (practice).
In the conservative Christian world, there really is uniformity, mostly, on orthodoxy. Sure there are differences concerning peripheral issues- church government, gifts of the Spirit, and details of the return of Christ. Still, most of these issues are so minor they border on irrelevant (okay, gifts of the Spirit can actually be a pretty hot topic).

Right (practice) is more complicated. Again, most issues there is uniformity- squashing of self-centeredness and pride, maintenance of integrity in the home and workplace, monogamous marital relations, investment in others, etc. However, nothing is as polemical among church leaders as the “right” view on divorce and remarriage.

Why would I read this book? First, it was in my library and I’m tired of buying books-ha! Second, this topic comes up over and over. Third, the job of a believer is to have Scripture dictate truth, not one’s own opinions. So, study never ends on these issues that so many pastors deal with.

In the end, I won’t spoil the book. But it was a VERY thorough overview on the three main views concerning the tragic ending of marriages- a) divorce with no remarriage b) divorce but permitted remarriage for two biblical reasons c) divorce but permitted remarriage for three(ish) biblical reasons.

Light reading? Goodness no. But definitely thorough.

[Nathan Marone]

Decent starting point for someone considering how to think about divorce and remarriage from a Christian perspective.

Wenhem - Grade C - I appreciated Wenhem's commitment to the early church, but his biblical case that there should be absolutely no remarriage after divorce struck me as relatively weak. In particular he argued from silence and didn't interact much with 1 Corinthians 7:12-14.

Heth - Grade A - Heth has the most solid biblical case of the three, maintaining that the clear cut exceptions against divorce and remarriage are marital unfaithfulness and desertion by an unbelieving spouse. He is open to Keener's view that there may be other exceptions to these explicit rules, but does not feel comfortable making a strong biblical case.

Keener - Grade A- - Though I probably agree with Keener more than either Wenhem or Heth, Kenner's position that there are more exceptions relies on the idea that we can extrapolate from the biblical principles outlined in Heth's piece (and his own) to include more extreme cases of abuse, etc. Keener's essay is pastoral in nature. He recognizes that the weakness of his argument is in the fact that it will be pastorally difficult to know where to draw the line; Heth, by contrast, has the advantage of a clear biblical position.

[Baylor Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three well presented views with respectful responses to one another.

William A. Heth’s contribution was most notable, as he went from being a primary voice for the “no remarriage ever” view (having written a few books from that position), but changed his view after enough pastoral experience and looking from different biblical angles (switching to the “remarriage after divorce resulting from adultery” view). After relaying several heart breaking and complicated pastoral experiences of divorce and remarriage, he says “I learned it is not up to me to decide when someone else’s marriage should end or should be healed.” I appreciate this honesty as I have also, with noble intentions, attempted a mediating role in others fragile marriages when I simply was not qualified to do so. Heth brought a humble humanity to a biblical debate which encourages us to admit when we are out of our depths.

[Becky Schommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m such a fan of this series and appreciate how it challenges me to think differently about topics which can be very dividing to the Church. Until reading this book, I assumed that valid grounds for divorce equaled valid grounds for remarriage; and invalid grounds for divorce “should” be grounds to keep one from remarriage (although I’ve never seen the Church hold people to that standard). It was eye opening and perspective shifting to consider the biblical message for remarriage from all three viewpoints. And I was so grateful that each author held to a high standard the commitment to the marriage covenant.

I did find some of the material regarding a non-face value reading of Matthew 19:9 confusing (even after reading all the positions). But all in all, it was a good read.

[Kurtis Merrithew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of evangelical views on the subject. Although my view wasn't fundamentally altered, my understanding of the many contours of the debate was greatly increased. This is extremely helpful for people in ministry trying to disciple people of different convictions and life circumstances.

[Asnaldo Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho los aportes de cada uno de estas tres posiciones. Pero me identifico con la postura de que sí hay algunos motivos por los que el divorcio es permitido y que por lo tanto el nuevo casamiento en estos casos no constituye un adulterio.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

gute Einführung, aber wie so oft bei Büchern dieser Serie: Am Ende weiß ich auch nicht viel mehr als davor...

[Matthew Richey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful overview from three strong scholars.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The question addressed in this book is closely related to the question of what constitutes a valid divorce. Gordon Wenham argues that there is no such thing, and that if divorce does happen, remarriage is not possible. Bill Heth argues that adultery and desertion by an unbelieving spouse are valid reasons both for divorce and for a subsequent second marriage. Craig Keener believes that more reasons are valid, reasons that fall into a "grey area."

What is interesting about this work is that for a couple decades, Heth was THE leading advocate of the "no possible remarriage" view. This book is the fullest expression of his changed views. He had the toughest assignment in this book (in which each author responds to the others' views), because he gets attacked from both the "right" and the "left," while the other two are more extreme than the others (on opposite ends).

What I like most about this book is that all three hate divorce, and think it is way too prevalent. They hate how Christians rush into second (or third . . .) marriages. But how about their arguments? I imagine they will merely confirm what the reader already believes. They all have good arguments, although my own position is probably between Wenham and Heth's. I love Bill Heth dearly, but he perhaps is too willingness to concede the wisdom of a second marriage, when separation from the first spouse might be a better option. All told, though, all three writers are "conservative" in the big picture, and work hard to build strong marriages in today's church. We can praise the Lord for that.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counterpoint books are hit and miss, but overall I thought this one was pretty well done. Wenham articulates the no remarriage view with heavy reliance upon the church fathers and the idea of Jesus completely challenging the accepted views of his day. Heth (who at one time held Wenham's view) argues for remarriage after adultery and desertion on the basis of Matthew 5, 19, and 1 Corinthians 7. Keener argues for a more proverbial hermeneutic of Jesus' teaching on divorce and says that the principle of allowing divorce and remarriage when the covenant of marriage has already been broken should be applied today, meaning it can safely be applied to abusive situations, and perhaps others as well. All of the essays are relatively well presented (though each of them have some weak points too), and I thought the response essays were irenic and helpful in thinking through some faulty reasoning or implications of one's position. Pastorally, I'm nearly certain that this will be something that I will have to address at one point, so I'm glad I acquainted myself with some of the arguments.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of the Counterpoints series I've read and I look forward to reading more on other topics of church and theological interest. The format is similar to a debate. In this case there were three participants, so each chapter consisted of one writer stating his case, followed by a short rebuttal by the other two. They switched places for subsequent chapters. All three hold to a conservative evangelical view that limits divorce to the exceptions spelled out in scripture of adultery and desertion, though one adds abuse as a form of desertion which is hard to argue with. All three make reasonable arguments and do it in an amicable way, agreeing to disagree, yet pointing out areas of agreement and still holding each other in high regard. I didn't come away completely settled on the issue of remarriage after divorce but it did give me a lot to think about. Worth the read.

[G Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually one of the few multiple view books that I really liked. Divorce is a hard subject to address and should not be done without realizing the weight and the gravity of ALL the people involved.
Wenham is particularly winsome in his defense of the no remarriage position... surprisingly pastoral and down to earth. Heth's position is interesting too, especially as he had once been in Wenham's camp. I find Keeners position to ultimately be silly in the end... he sacrifices too much for pastoral expediency... but still overall this is a good resource that deserves to be read along side of Wenham's other works in this area, John Murray and Jay Adam's. No secret here, I side with Wenham. This book is much smaller, yet still MUCH better than the IVP multiple perspective book on the same subject.

[Phil Whittall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Counterpoints series from Zondervan is really excellent placing as it does differing views alongside each other and allowing room for response and comment from the contributors. It's extremely helpful in working out what you think on a subject. Hopefully they'll do one on giving or money one day.

Wenham takes the 'no remarriage after divorce' view, Heth the 'limited exceptions' and Keener 'the wider exceptions' view. Wenham makes some good points but I find myself in greatest agreement with Heth and Keener. If understanding what the Bible teaches about such a crucial pastoral subject is of interest to you then I recommend it.

[Dominic Venuso · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the major views and arguments on the question of remarriage. One major negative is that the very debate has a tendency to center the discussion on the areas of disagreement, which by necessity centers the discussion away from where Christ Himself centers it: God’s original design for marriage and the eternal meaning of marriage. American readers, living in churches plagued by the same selfish attitudes held by the people who questioned Jesus about this matter, must be very careful not come to a book like this looking for grounds to do what their flesh wants, but should first center themselves on Christ’s emphasis.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certinly a good introduction to a difficult subject. I read this for preparation of a Sunday School class I'm teaching. I recommend that further reading and prayer with spiritual counsel be sought out before you every make such a grave decision for divorce or remarriage. There are so many things to consider in this book that a second reading might clear up if I missed anything. Also, there are good resources they recommend that I will pursue. I won't say where I stand on divorce and remarriage in this review, simply because space does not allow. Read the book.

[Neil Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful to see a range of views, though I think there are even more, and I was hoping for even more depth in the arguments, though this can be found elsewhere. It's intriguing and admirable (although not altogether explicable) that Heth changed his view after publishing with Wenham on the no-remarriage view.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm struggling through the issues of a divorce, I don't know how much this book helped me solidify an opinion. However, I appreciated the point-counterpoint writing of three Brothers in Christ, written respectfully. I feel it was well written and points were defended, for the most part, well.

[Trevor Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great way to look at the very controversial topic of remarriage after a divorce. It made the options easier to understand, but I can't say I have my mind made up...I used to...when I was younger.

[Anthony Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of the great "views" books, this one on the topic of remarriage.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction.