Teaching divorce and remarriage in its ancient Near East, Greco Roman biblical background, and socio-cultural context, as a possible recovery of martial covenantal oneness in Haitian evangelical diaspora church

Saint-Fort, D. (2023). Teaching divorce and remarriage in its ancient Near East, Greco Roman biblical background, and socio-cultural context, as a possible recovery of martial covenantal oneness in Haitian evangelical diaspora church. https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3954

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Title

Teaching divorce and remarriage in its ancient Near East, Greco Roman biblical background, and socio-cultural context, as a possible recovery of martial covenantal oneness in Haitian evangelical diaspora church

Author
Saint-Fort, Darson
Call Number

LE3 .A278 2023

Date

2023

Supervisor

Zacharias, H. Daniel

Degree Grantor

Acadia University

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

Degree Level

D.Min.

Discipline

Ministry

Affiliation

Acadia Divinity College

Abstract

Teachings on divorce and remarriage are rare in the evangelical ethnic churches of the Haitian diaspora. In the sporadic instances, when it happens, a literal approach with portions of scripture taken out of context is used to validate an approach promoting no divorce or if there is a divorce, no remarriage. This research is a respectful dissension to this approach showing that when teaching the topic from its biblical sociocultural historical and contextual background, evangelical believers can recover marital oneness if they undergo a biblically sanctioned divorce process followed by remarriage. The research was qualitative and executed in an evangelical Haitian church in Montreal. There was a presentation of a series of teachings on the topic covering the first two chapters of this research to an audience, which included volunteers who agreed to answer a post-teaching questionnaire related to this study. The results showed that the rare occurrences of teachings on the topic in the community excluded covenantal death as an important element to take into consideration in the biblical marital imagery. When participants reflected on the metaphor of the biblical narrative, some shared that the standard regarding divorce and remarriage cannot be higher for God’s children than for God himself as it relates to the topic. In conclusion, using approaches such as redemptive hermeneutic, theology of liberation, and positive church discipline to navigate the challenge of divorce and remarriage. The research shows how the church can help support its members who are in an abusive relationship through a contextual application of the Bible and a partnership with specialized professional human resources and community groups.

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Permanent Link

https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3954

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