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Rating: 
Summary: I thank God this book was written!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: A good start for those studying D&R
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A good start for those studying D&R
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening and Helpful
Review: 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 author�s 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. Christ�s 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 Christ�s 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
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening and Helpful
Review: 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 author's 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. Christ's 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 Christ's 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
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