Attitudes towards divorce have changed considerably over the past two centuries. As society has moved away from a Biblical definition of marriage as an indissoluble union, to that of an individual and personal relationship, secular laws have evolved as well. Using unpublished sources and previously inaccessible private collections, Holmes explores the significant role the Church of England has played in these changes, as well as the impact this has had on ecclesiastical policies. This timely study will be relevant to ongoing debates about the meaning and nature of marriage, including the theological doctrines and ecclesiastical policies underlying current debates on same-sex marriage.
Autorentext
Ann Sumner Holmes is Associate Dean of the Ogden Honors College at Louisiana State University.
Inhalt
Introduction
1. The Church of England and Divorce Reform, 1900-1914
2. The Interwar Years: Church and State Diverge
3. Till Death Them Do Part: The Church and Divorce, 1945-1960
4. Putting Asunder: The Church and Divorce Reform in the 1960s
5. Remarriage in Church After Divorce: In Pursuit of Consensus
6. Remarriage in Church After Divorce: Each Case is Different