1st Edition
The Church of England and Divorce in the Twentieth Century Legalism and Grace
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 Using unpublished sources and previously inaccessible private collections, Holmes explores the significant role the Church of England has played in these changes, as well as the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.
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
Biography
Ann Sumner Holmes is Associate Dean of the Ogden Honors College at Louisiana State University.
"Holmes provides a comprehensive and eminently readable account of her topic and of the tensions, as identified in her subtitle, between legalism and grace over the course of the last century. It will constitute a useful background resource of fact and commentary." - Richard Lindley, Winchester Cathedral
