Obviously, there is bias in my reading, as I was hoping to find something that would calm the demon inside my head that has always used my divorce to shun me in society, and especially within the church. Having gone through a divorce some 17 years ago, that one event in my life still sticks with me like the plague, and I would imagine that there will always be a part of me that is filled with deep hurt, pain, and regret for living the way I did in my early 20's.
Having said all of that, this book was like a pleasant breath of fresh air to me. Not only do we have a thorough examination of scripture that shreds the misconception that Jesus and Paul simply condemned remarriage on a universal level, but we have plenty of scholarly research here that actually puts to rest some of the main misinterpretations of scripture by churches and pastors of the 21st Century.
While you can certainly summarize what Dr. Instone-Brewer concludes within a paragraph or two, it would not do this subject justice on any level; especially considering the deeply personal and individual nature of divorce, it is best left for the individual to read this book, and to ultimately decide what their own personal situation warrants with regards to divorce, remarriage, etc.
With that said, I would caution anyone reading this post, or this book, in using it as an excuse to divorce their spouse. I would affirm what Jesus teaches, in that divorce is a horrible stain on the church, and simply put, God hates it. What was new to me in this book is how the author details God's own divorce from the nation of Israel. I had honestly never read that, or even thought of that, so this was a fascinating section of the book that really puts the details of divorce into a much larger perspective.
Ultimately, this book has soothing qualities to someone who has carried the pain and burden of their divorce around with them for nearly half their life. And while this book doesn't necessarily answer every question about divorce (what book could?), I will say that it is perhaps the most thorough and detailed book about divorce from a Christian perspective that I have ever read. I would recommend that anyone dealing with this issue, either personally, or within their immediate circle of friends and family, to dig in and find some answers to some of your questions. At the worst, you can walk away from this book no worse off then when you started. At best, you will find that long sought after peace in your life, at least as far as the church is concerned. I would dare to say that this book could be used as ammunition against a pastor or church body that is so firmly entrenched in their views that they have failed to see the forest for the trees for many years. However, I would caution anyone thinking along those lines, as we must always keep firm Christian integrity in our dealings with brothers and sisters in Christ.
In short, a welcome respite of knowledge is always the winner in any battle. This book definitely helps the Christian divorcee in that regard.
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