This dissertation identifies covenant as a primary framework for understanding marriage in the Bible and the divorce and remarriage texts of the New Testament. Chapter 1 defines the need for such a work and provides a basic overview of the present major positions. Chapter 2 provides a theology of marriage based upon the biblical principle of covenant and the foundational principles of Genesis 2:24: leave, cleave, and one flesh. Chapter 3 examines the primary Old Testament texts and their contribution to this discussion. Passages that are examined include Genesis 1-2, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Malachi 2:10-16, and other pertinent texts. These passages help shape one's understanding of the New Testament teachings on divorce and remarriage. Chapters 4 and 5 serve as the heart of the work and consider the words of Jesus and Paul on divorce and remarriage. It is argued in these chapters that both Jesus and Paul promote the ideal of lifelong marriage but also allow for divorce when the covenant of marriage is violated. Jesus deals with the "one flesh" aspect of the marriage covenant, and Paul addresses the "leave" and "cleave" elements. When these parameters are obstinately violated, divorce is permitted but not required. It is also important to understand and interpret the words of Jesus and Paul in their historical context, for it is only within this context that we can understand fully what they are teaching. Chapter 6 is the conclusion and provides an overview of the work as well as some pastoral implications of the research. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

This dissertation critically reflects the problem of divorce and remarriage within the North Eastern diocese of the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. A problem which has become rampant in the whole church. The situation became apparent to me as I was ministering in different parishes in the area of the research for five years. Divorcees are not accorded the full membership in the church because of their divorce status.Their failed marriages and criticism from church members makes them feel out of place in their own churches. They feel desperate, tending towards a sense of personal failure. The Shambala traditional customs whereby divorcees and/or remarried people are looked upon as outcasts make things even worse. Divorcees, makomanyumba 1., have no place in the Shambala Christian community. The goal of this dissertation therefore is to address divorcees' crisis through counselling. Many of these people are members of the church. I feel the church needs to face the biggest challenge to alleviate divorcees' crisis through counselling. I believe sincere pastoral care and counselling within the Lutheran Church in Tanzania will bring about healing, support, reconciliation and restoration of the hurt and deprived people, in this sense, the divorcees. Estardt (1997) believes that pastoral support is one of the services that persons committed to the church have the right to expect. He sees pastoral counselling as a relationship in which the minister assists the client in dealing with the difficulties, frustrations and tragedies of life. It is for this sense a new model of pastoral care and counselling is suggested for whole church. The model in which pastors in parishes are not the only solitary sources of counselling. The new model suggests that both trained and untrained laity is a good source for pastoral care and counselling. If these sources are fully utilised in parishes, a minister's counselling work might well be assisted, enhanced and improved by the parishioners. Referral counselling is also suggested in the new model.1.Makomanyumba - plural, divorcees. Komanyumba- singular, a divorcee. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004