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Rating: 
Summary: Four conservative Christian views
Review: A well written book in which four sincere, intelligent conservative Christians extract biblical passages in support of four completely different views on divorce and remarriage. No consensus appears to be possible on this topic. Each of the authors's cases appear quite strong. A frustrating book if the reader is looking for a single belief concerning divorce and remarriage. An excellent review of the ambiguity of the Bible on these two topics.
Rating: 
Summary: A polite fight
Review: In some ways this book is incredibly amusing. The four writers hold radically different views (no divorce and no remarriage; divorce but no remarriage; divorce and remarriage for adultery and desertion; and divorce and remarriage under a variety of circumstances). They not only give one presentation of their own views but get to comment on the presentations of the others. You may come away from the book slightly light-headed, but the format ensures that no-one gets away without criticism. The funny bit is that, although the writers are all fundamentally opposed to each other's interpretations, they all go out of the way to be really nice about each other first. It's like "Mr X is an incredibly nice man and a good Christian - I am now going to show you how he allows people to commit adultery and leads millions astray."There are a couple of dangers of having such a book. One is that you may be trying to decide which of the four writers is right. Don't forget the option that they may all have valid points to make, but that the truth might be a fifth explanation that none of them would entirely agree with. The second is that all the arguments, some of them finely constructed, may discourage you from being able to find the truth. Remember, just because some Christians make it sound complicated, doesn't mean that it isn't actually simple and understandable.
Rating:
Summary: shows how easy it is to misinterpret this area
Review: This book by evangelical Christians shows how easy it is to misinterpret this area of marriage and divorce. If you read this book and get confused, read David Instone-Brewer's "Divorce and Remarriage: The Social and Literary Context" for a extremely scholarly approach to trying to determine what these verses meant in the 1st century context. The whole teaching of the Bible can set you free. Did you know God is a divorce'? Do you know the reasons He gave Israel a divorce? It is all there but is seldom taught.
Rating:
Summary: shows how easy it is to misinterpret this area
Review: This book by evangelical Christians shows how easy it is to misinterpret this area of marriage and divorce. If you read this book and get confused, read David Instone-Brewer's "Divorce and Remarriage: The Social and Literary Context" for a extremely scholarly approach to trying to determine what these verses meant in the 1st century context. The whole teaching of the Bible can set you free. Did you know God is a divorce'? Do you know the reasons He gave Israel a divorce? It is all there but is seldom taught.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating book covering many beliefs about divorce
Review: This book contains a debade among four leading Evangelical Christian theologians on the topic of divorce and subsequent remarriage. They are between a rock and a hard place, because they all believe that the Bible is inerrant and is the Word of God. Thus, it must be internally consistent, and error free. Yet the Bible clearly says different things about if and when divorce is permitted. In some cases, the Bible instructs some couples to divorce. In other cases, passages say that divorce is optional. In still other cases, it says that divorce is not permitted. Watching these four intelligent, devout, thougtful theologians try to harmonize the Bible's passages on divorce is impressive. Unfortunately, they do not deal with the obvious explination: that the Bible describes an evolution of religous and cultural thought over a little more than a millennium, and we must seek our own answers today.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre Overview of Four Views on Divorce and Remarriage
Review: This book isn't for everyone -- persons wanting a straightforward, Biblically-based position on divorce and remarriage should look elsewhere. For most believers, this volume will bring more confusion than clarity. For persons who are familiar with these various views however, there is some helpful information present. The four views stated are: no divorce no remarriage, divorce but no remarriage, divorce and remarriage for adultery or desertion, and divorce and remarriage under a variety of circumstances. The first three positions are offered with so many footnotes and scholarly jargon that the reader gets lost in the shuffle. Only Richards, who presents the fourth view, is easy to understand and to follow in his reasoning. I can only recommend this book to Christian leaders who want to read a large sampling of materials on this topic. It certainly is not a concise summary of the various viewpoints on divorce and remarriage. For a single, straightforward presentation on this subject, try "Remarriage: A Healing Gift of God" by Larry Richards.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre Overview of Four Views on Divorce and Remarriage
Review: This book isn't for everyone -- persons wanting a straightforward, Biblically-based position on divorce and remarriage should look elsewhere. For most believers, this volume will bring more confusion than clarity. For persons who are familiar with these various views however, there is some helpful information present. The four views stated are: no divorce no remarriage, divorce but no remarriage, divorce and remarriage for adultery or desertion, and divorce and remarriage under a variety of circumstances. The first three positions are offered with so many footnotes and scholarly jargon that the reader gets lost in the shuffle. Only Richards, who presents the fourth view, is easy to understand and to follow in his reasoning. I can only recommend this book to Christian leaders who want to read a large sampling of materials on this topic. It certainly is not a concise summary of the various viewpoints on divorce and remarriage. For a single, straightforward presentation on this subject, try "Remarriage: A Healing Gift of God" by Larry Richards.
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