Unbinding the Ties that Bind

Marriage when undertaken in loving commitment is a wonderful estate to which many well-meaning people aspire. Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, people become wounded in marriages that destroy individual's self-worth and dignity. In this book, Reverend Dr. Hugh Hamilton, senior pastor and pastoral counselor with over twenty-five years of experience, explores theological ideas of God, suffering, sin, and redemption in the context of marriage and divorce and exposes how the theology of the church supports a system of marital abuse. Grounded in sound research and practice, Reverend Hamilton recommends an editing of the oppressive narratives about God to relieve the suffering of those in abusive unions and compassionately offers balanced therapeutic approaches to help people heal from the inevitable pain and wounds that come from divorce.

The book suggests fresh, new ways of thinking about marriage as "the experience of reciprocal belonging" and provides ethically defensible reasons why divorce and remarriage are responsible models of being family. Readers from within and outside the church will find its contents enlightening, encouraging, uplifting, and useful.