Divorce and Remarriage
Divorce is the legal ending of a marriage. This topic covers UK divorce law, including the no-fault divorce system introduced in 2022, religious teachings for and against divorce and remarriage, and the effects of divorce on families and religious communities.
Method
- Learn the legal process for getting a divorce in England and Wales, including the main stages involved.
- Learn at least one religious teaching, with its source, that opposes divorce, and one that allows for it in some circumstances.
- Learn one example of how Christian denominations differ in their approach to remarriage after divorce.
- Learn the practical and emotional effects divorce can have on a family.
- Learn how religious communities respond to and support members going through divorce.
- Practise writing a paragraph that gives a point, a source of authority, and a development that explains the point fully.
Worked example
Explain one reason a Christian might believe a marriage can sometimes rightly come to an end. Refer to a source of religious teaching in your answer.
- Identify the belief being tested: not all Christians treat marriage as absolutely unbreakable in every circumstance.
- State the point clearly: some Christians believe a marriage may end if one partner has already broken the relationship, for example by leaving it.
- Support the point with a source of authority: 1 Corinthians 7:15 teaches that if an unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage, the believing partner 'is not bound in such circumstances'.
- Explain how the source supports the point: this verse shows Paul allowing an exception to the general teaching that marriage should not be ended, when one partner has already left.
- Write the final answer: 1 Corinthians 7:15 teaches that a believer is 'not bound' if their spouse chooses to leave the marriage, which some Christians use to argue that divorce can be acceptable in certain circumstances rather than always being forbidden.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Religious Studies exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Explain two ways in which a religious community's response to divorce might differ depending on whether children are involved.
Assess how far a religious community's teaching about remarriage should affect whether it welcomes a divorced person as a full member.
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