Releasing The Captive Woman
: Confronting Religious Oppression Through Re-Examination Of Scripture And History

You or someone you know is divorcing, and you've been taught it is a sin. What do you do? The common reaction is avoidance or judgment, especially toward the one initiating a divorce. A change in this attitude is long overdue. The Bill of Divorcement in Bible times represented a clean break between partners who would otherwise be locked in a lifetime of misery, neglect, or abuse. Its original purpose was to secure provision for the woman and vindicate those who were innocent of unjustified or wrongful motives, including issues of an intimate nature between the couple and not the rest of the world. Over time, this was replaced by a harsh and legalistic attitude that labeled all divorcees as sinners. As a result, people of faith (especially leaders and counselors) still don't know how to handle divorce. In particular, women pay the price through condemnation and misunderstanding. Well-meaning comments that God can fix anything don't remove the sting. The tragedy is that not only are divorcees of faith misunderstood, but so is God. Releasing the Captive Woman provides insight into the personal struggles and Scriptural dilemmas surrounding issues of marriage and divorce. The book will hopefully mentor individuals into making wiser decisions before they step into marriage.