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Innumerable scholars and readers have interacted with me in the preparation of this work. Various aspects have been presented at conferences, and the whole of this text has been available, without the footnotes, on my website for several months. The large number of helpful comments and questions, verbally and in emails, has contributed hugely to the development of my ideas and the way they are presented here. Unfortunately I cannot name all those who have helped me, but I would like to mention a few in particular. The members and my fellow minister at Llanishen Baptist Church in Cardiff helped me to consider the practical issues at the heart of this study and encouraged me to find time for research. Later, when I took up a research post at Tyndale House in Cambridge, I was able to interact with a constant stream of doctoral and postdoctoral scholars who visited or stayed there, as well as other scholars who are resident in Cambridge. In particular, William Horbury gave much useful guidance, Gerald Bray helped me with Latin texts, and Bruce Winter introduced me to the complexities of Roman law.

Editing this work would not have been possible without the help of Olaf Olsen, who responded to my appeal on the internet for an editor who would work for nothing more than a free copy of the book. His attention to detail was truly remarkable. My wife was the second editor, who worked just as hard for even less reward.

The frequent emails from people who have read my work in progress on the web ...

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About Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context

To many, the New Testament’s teaching on divorce and remarriage seems both impractical and unfair. The plain meaning of the texts allows for divorce only in cases of adultery or desertion, and forbids remarriage until the death of one’s former spouse. But are these proscriptions the final word for Christians today? Are we correctly reading the scriptures that address these issues?

By looking closely at the biblical texts on divorce and remarriage in light of the first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman world, David Instone-Brewer shows that the original audience of the New Testament heard these teachings differently. Through a careful exploration of the background literature of the Old Testament, the ancient Near East, and especially ancient Judaism, David Instone-Brewer constructs a biblical view of divorce and remarriage that is wider in scope than present-day readings.

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