Review of Barbara Roberts, Not Under Bondage: Biblical Divorce for Abuse, Adultery and Desertion (Victoria, Australia: Maschil Press, 2008)Publisher PD

Robertson, Norma P.

Theology in Scotland

English

St Andrews Research Repository

page 95Tdemocracy	an	understandable	concept,	and	considers	what	‘learning	for	democracy’	might	mean.	In	 summary,	 I	 only	 can	 say	 that	 this	 book	 is	 a	 helping	 tool	 for	scholars,	 teachers,	 and	citizens	 in	general	who	might	want	 to	 think	about	citizenship.	I	strongly	recommend	it	not	only	to	Scottish	people,	but	from	my	Hungarian	perspective,	it	will	be	useful	to	anyone	from	any	nationality	who	is	interested	in	this	question.	Andrea Szaszi,Hungarian	Reformed	ChurchNot Under Bondage: Biblical Divorce for Abuse, Adultery and Desertion, Barbara Roberts, Victoria, Australia: Maschil Press, 2008, pp. 196, ISBN 978-0980355345. £11.95This	 work	 requires	 to	 be	 approached	 remembering	 that	 it	 has	evolved	out	of	 the	author’s	own	 life	experience	and	 the	 theological	perspective	 of	 those	who	 offered	 her	 the	 help,	 support,	 acceptance	and	 understanding	 she	 required	 when	 she	 found	 herself	 embroiled	in	a	marital	 relationship	 that	had	become	dominated	by	abuse.	This	may	have	been	in	a	culture	different	to	that	found	in	Scotland,	but	the	situation	in	which	the	author	found	herself	has	no	respect	for	national	boundaries,	and	is	perhaps	more	prevalent	in	all	societies	and	cultures	than	 is	 generally	 accepted.	Although	 the	 theological	 perspective	 of	this	work	is	not	in	accord	with	that	of	this	reviewer,	it	is	recognised	that	 it	 is	 a	 perspective	 that	 is	 increasing	 in	 the	 Christian	 Church	worldwide,	perhaps	because	in	a	world	of	ever-increasing	uncertainty,	human	beings	are	looking	for	certainty	rather	than	ambiguity.	This	small	monograph	describes	how	Barbara	Roberts	found	these	texts	could	 speak	 to	her	 in	 the	very	difficult	 context	of	 the	abusive	marital	 relationship	 in	which	she	found	herself.	As	such,	 this	work,	as	the	author	herself	suggests	in	the	Introduction,	could	be	of	value	to	those	who	find	themselves	in	similar	circumstances,	as	well	as	to	pastors	‘who	seek	to	give	biblical	guidance	on	divorce	and	remarriage’.	However,	this	reviewer	would	have	to	suggest	that	it	would	perhaps	page 96be	 more	 helpful	 to	 pastors	 from	 a	 similar	 theological	 perspective.	How	 this	 work	 could	 be	 used	 would	 depend	 on	 the	 theological	perspectives	 of	 the	people	 involved,	 and	 to	what	 extent	 unresolved	differences	in	their	theological	perspectives	are	a	contributing	factor	to	the	breakdown	of	the	relationship.	The	structure	of	the	contents	page	of	this	190	page	monograph	is	concise	and	well	laid	out.	The	headings	express	clearly	the	particular	focus	of	each	chapter:	“Setting	The	Scene”,	“Divorce	and	Remarriage”,	“Clearing	Away	Misconceptions”,	and	“Jesus’	Teaching”.	This	should	enable	 any	 user	 of	 the	 book,	 once	 read	 in	 totality,	 to	 find,	 through	quick	 reference	 to	 the	 chapter	 headings,	 the	 sections	 relevant	 to	specific	individual	circumstances	that	might	arise	in	the	course	of	their	pastoral	ministry.	In	 the	 Introduction,	 the	 author	 describes	 how	 she	 perceives	 the	writings	 of	 the	 Old	 and	 New	 Testaments,	 and	 it	 is	 the	 statement,	‘without	error	and	fully	sufficient	to	guide	us	in	all	matters	of	life	and	practice’	that	prompted	the	comments	above.	Indeed,	the	author	herself	in	 that	 same	 Introduction	 describes	 these	writings	 as	 ‘a	minefield’,	noting	several	 important	consequences	 that	 require	 to	be	 taken	 into	consideration	by	anyone	seeking	the	Word	of	God	inherent	 in	these	texts.	The	questions	she	raises	in	what	she	describes	as	‘the	scriptural	plight	of	the	domestic	abuse	victim’	are	pertinent	and	important,	but	her	hermeneutic	 leaves	 little	 room	for	a	more	exploratory	approach	to	Scripture,	so	that	it	would	be	difficult	to	relate	the	text	to	someone	at	 a	 different	 place	 on	 their	 theological	 journey	 and	 in	 a	 different	individual	 situation.	 By	 contrast,	 I	 would	 argue	 that	 the	 variety	 of	voices	in	Scripture	is	that	very	characteristic	that	enables	the	Word	of	God	to	be	revealed	in	all	situations	and	to	the	diversity	of	humanity.	One	person’s	‘minefield’	can	be	another	person’s	answer!	It	 is	 not	 possible	 to	 undertake	 in	 one	 short	 review	 an	 overview	of	the	whole	text.	However,	there	is	one	aspect	that	arises	very	early	in	the	work	that	gives	cause	for	concern	because	it	suggests,	despite	the	 clarity	 of	 the	 index,	 that	 this	 author	 is	 still	 not	 clear	 about	 the	objective	of	her	work.	It	is	Roberts’	suggestion	that	‘if	you	are	reading	this	book	because	we	are	interested	in	God’s	guidance	on	divorce	and	remarriage,	but	are	not	particularly	interested	in	the	domestic	abuse	aspect,	you	may	wish	 to	skim	through	the	first	 three	chapters.’	 (15)	page 97This	suggests	a	‘moving	of	goal	posts’.	Is	the	objective	of	this	work	about	the	issues	for	a	Christian	of	divorce	and	remarriage	in	general,	or	 only	 in	 reference	 to	marital	 abuse?	Despite	 her	 inclusion	 of	 the	more	general	aspect,	her	key	context	as	described	in	the	Introduction	appears	to	be	the	specific.	Does	this	work	perhaps	lose	something	by	trying	to	meet	too	many	objectives,	both	specific	and	general,	in	one	volume?	To	 address	 satisfactorily	 the	 general	 aspect	 of	 divorce	 and	remarriage	in	the	Bible	would	require	a	work	of	much	greater	length.	However,	what	 is	commendable	 in	 this	work	 is	first	of	all	 that	 it	 is	short	enough	to	be	attractive	to	those	seeking	help,	and	secondly	that	it	is	a	personal	account	of	one	person’s	experience	of	a	specific	abusive	marriage.	On	the	latter	point,	the	first	three	chapters	are	crucial,	because	they	represent	the	context	in	which	the	biblical	texts	are	to	be	interpreted.	If	these	chapters	can	be	skimmed	over,	as	the	Introduction	suggests,	then	why	are	 they	 there?	Their	 exclusion	changes	 the	context	 from	reflection	on	the	specific	question	of	divorce	and	remarriage	resulting	from	marital	abuse,	to	the	question	of	the	credibility	of	divorce	and	remarriage	for	anyone	who	is	Christian.	The	structure	of	the	content	works	 well	 for	 the	 former,	 but	 seems	 to	 become	 distorted	 for	 the	latter.	Why,	 if	 it	 is	 about	 divorce	 and	 remarriage	 in	 general,	would	Chapter	Three,	 for	 example,	 become	 irrelevant?	The	 author	 herself	suggests	 that	 since	 the	 passage	 under	 discussion,	 1	 Corinthians	 7,	‘does	not	give	 specific	 teaching	about	divorce	 for	domestic	 abuse’,	that	‘some	Christians	fall	back	on	general	principles	of	self-protection	and	covenant	fidelity	to	justify	divorce	in	such	cases’.	Yet,	the	author	claims	 that	 the	 subject	 of	 this	 text,	 ‘divorce	 where	 a	 believer	 was	married	to	an	unbeliever	is,	despite	surface	appearances,	the	key	text	for	 divorce	 in	 domestic	 abuse.’	 (37)	 Then,	 right	 at	 the	 start,	 in	 an	apparently	anonymous	short	comment	on	the	author,	the	statement	had	appeared	that	she	was	‘unaware	that	Christians	should	avoid	marrying	non-Christians’.	(5)	In	offering	this	interpretation	of	1	Corinthians	7,	Roberts	is	clearly	reading	her	own	situation	into	the	text.	This	admission	throws	the	actual	catalyst	of	this	work	completely	open	to	question.	Is	the	aim	primarily	to	help	those	who	find	themselves	in	 an	 abusive	 marriage?	 Alternatively,	 is	 it	 about	 the	 general	page 98theological	issues	that	arise	when	considering	a	Christian	perspective	on	 divorce	 and	 remarriage?	 Or	 a	 third	 possibility:	 is	 it	 about	 the	problems	potentially	accompanying	marriage	between	a	Christian	and	a	non-Christian,	and	therefore	an	argument	against	embarking	on	such	a	marriage?	This	confusion	suggests	that	the	author	has	not	as	yet	fully	worked	out	to	her	own	satisfaction	justification	for	her	situation.	This	situation	 she	 sees	 as	 being	 contrary	 to	 the	 teachings	 in	 the	 biblical	texts,	but	is	in	fact	rooted	in	her	erroneous	reading	of	1	Corinthians	7.	The	conclusion	of	her	searchings	seems	to	be	that	the	reason	for	the	marital	abuse	she	suffered	is	because	she	had	married	an	unbeliever!It	 is	 unfortunate	 that	 the	 clarity	 of	 this	 work	 appears	 to	 have	become	clouded	by	attempts	to	make	it	relevant	to	a	broader	section	of	the	Christian	community.	There	is	no	doubt	that	domestic	abuse	is	a	vital	specific	issue	in	pastoral	care,	and	there	is	room	for	some	serious	biblical	theology	on	the	matter.	However,	despite	its	confusion,	this	book	could	still	function	as	a	good	resource	to	help	people	focus	on	an	issue	that	is	more	prevalent	in	society	than	is	acknowledged,	and	as	such	goes	some	way	towards	putting	the	issue	of	marital	abuse	into	the	public	arena.Norma P. Robertson,New	College,	University	of	Edinburgh

"Not under bondage: biblical divorce for abuse, adultery and desertion" by Barbara Roberts

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