Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers

Please, please do not poke through this book looking for little tidbits you can agree with or attack. It is obvious that some reviewers have posted reviews of this book without actually reading it, which is most unfair to the author. This book is well-worth reading from beginning to end. Please take the time to do so. It is well written and it is a gem!If you are NOT committed to the authority of the Bible as the Word of God, then you also need not bother reading the book. But if you wish to better understand issues pertaining to marriage, divorce, and the possibility of remarriage from a biblical point of view, then by all means keep reading.I especially love the long and careful section (almost half the book) devoted to marriage--its purpose, foundations, responsibilities, and challenges. It looks at interesting (and seldom discussed) questions such as: How Can You Know Whom You Should Marry? What Constitutes a Valid Marriage? How Can Couples Improve Their Communication? What is the Purpose of Engagement? and, How Can Couples Resolve Sexual Problems? Would that all young people would read this section before getting married in the first place!Part 2 begins the discussion of divorce and remarriage. Some chapter headings here: What is Divorce? Why Does God Hate Divorce? Why Does God Permit Divorce? Why Are Some Questions About Divorce and Remarriage So Difficult? Who Decides Whether a Divorce or Remarriage is Valid? What constitutes Abandonment by an Unbelieving Spouse? In his section on "Divorce and Remarriage Controversies," I like his attempts to be fair even to those authors who take a position on divorce and remarriage that he does not support. You will not be sure of his own position until later in the book.There are many more excellent and thought-provoking chapters I could mention, but they would make this review excessively long. Included with the book are an index of subjects and names, and an index of Scripture references. Pastors, elders, and Christian counselors, as well as individuals seeking to better understand these issues will greatly profit from reading this fine book--the best on the subject that I have read for many, many years.

Though it has some good information and wisdom, I was very disappointed in the presentation of the different views on marriage/divorce/remarriage. In particular, the author's presentation of the no remarriage position was not thorough or representative of that position. It seems as though all the author did was relay Piper's view on the matter, which by no means represents the position fully or accurately. In this sense, the book is not helpful because it does not lay out the general arguments of the no remarriage position so the reader can fully look at the biblical evidence on all sides. If you are going to argue against a no remarriage position (which is fine) you at least must represent it fairly and it doesn't seem as though the author took the time to do that in this book.

A great deal has been written and said about marriage today and a lot of it is emotionally driven opinion. It is refreshing to read “Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage,” by Jim Newheiser. Instead of offering politically correct and socially approved opinion, Jim tells us what the Bible says about marriage in a concise and helpful way. The book is written as a series of questions that begin with the Biblical definition of Marriage. It deals with the roles and responsibilities inside marriage and the problems that marriages face today including divorce and remarriage. This is a useful tool for couples, counselors, and Pastors. I highly recommend it. Charles D Hodges Jr. MD, LMFT

I read this for a counseling class, and have assigned portions of it and recommended it to others. It is a good book that handles the topics fairly; it is a broad spectrum of topics, so some areas you might hope for more, but then it would be too verbose for every reader who approaches the book. It is laid out in such a way that you can see the answer to the "questions" the book is centered around. The topics are divided naturally, so that if you are a Biblical counselor you can assign different sections that address different topics.I enjoyed his treatment on re-marriage and hope to write a paper on the different views. Certainly, there are going to be people who disagree, but I think Dr. Newheiser handled it biblically.This is written from a theologically conservative Protestant stance to a theologically conservative protestant audience. Certainly other Christian traditions might do well to read the book, but the Bible is the ultimate authority.

A solid book that causes you to really think.Too many Tim Keller quotes.

I loved reading this book, not only does it tackle all three topics it does it in a biblical way. Excellent read for anyone wanting a biblical view on marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

This is a great resource for anyone who is dealing with family dynamics. However there is so much more to the humble narration and style of this volume. I’m love and appreciation both of the Word of God and of my wife was growing as I was reading this book.

Biblical and insightful. Each chapter and a pint are backed up with scripture.

Dem Titel nach zu urteilen, scheint das Buch sich mit den ethischen Fragen rund um das Thema Scheidung und Wiederheirat zu beschäftigen. Das tut es auch, aber es tut viel mehr. Die insgesamt 40 Fragen, die das Buch sukzessive beantwortet, sind in zwei Bereiche mit je 20 Fragen eingeteilt: (1) „Marriage“ und (2) „Divorce and Remarriage“.Newheiser beginnt ganz grundlegend mit den Fragen was Ehe ist und warum Gott Ehe eingesetzt hat, er beschäftigt sich aber explizit auch mit verzwickten Detailfragen. Dabei ist er gleichermaßen exegetisch und seelsorgerlich. Newheiser zitiert kaum exegetische Bibelkommentare, dafür aber zahlreiche Monografien. Die Stärke des Buches ist, dass er nicht bloß dogmatische Aussagen macht (was er aber selbstverständlich gelegentlich auch tut!), sondern sehr seelsorgerlich schreibt. Seine Jahrzehntelange Praxiserfahrung wird sichtbar, wenn er von vielen konkret miterlebten Situationen schreibt.Was Newheisers Position in Sachen Scheidung und Wiederheirat angeht, so vertritt er die drastische Position und sieht den Ehebund mit der Mehrheit der evangelikalen Theologen nicht als strikt unauflöslich an. Ehebruch (Mt 5,32; 19,9) und das Verlassen eines Gläubigen durch einen Ungläubigen (1Kor 7,15) sind für ihn legitime Gründe für Scheidung und Wiederheirat, wobei Versöhnung immer die erste Option ist. In Fragen um Missbrauch und ähnliches rät Newheiser durchaus zuerst zu räumlicher Trennung und auch zur Anzeige bei strafrechtlicher Relevanz.Insgesamt ist es ein sehr rundes Buch, gut zu lesen, gründlich und seelsorgerlich. Die Bedeutung der Ehe wird sehr hoch gehalten und der Schwere von Ehebruch und Missbrauch trägt Newheiser ebenso Rechnung. Man muss nicht in allen Detailfragen einer Meinung mit ihm sein, um von dem Buch profitieren zu können. Besonders für Gemeindeleiter und Seelsorger ist das Buch sehr zu empfehlen.

Very helpful for teaching and self-learning.