Download or read book The Church of England and Divorce in the Twentieth Century written by Ann Sumner Holmes and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-10-04 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Attitudes towards divorce have changed considerably over the past two centuries. As society has moved away from a Biblical definition of marriage as an indissoluble union, to that of an individual and personal relationship, secular laws have evolved as well. Using unpublished sources and previously inaccessible private collections, Holmes explores the significant role the Church of England has played in these changes, as well as the impact this has had on ecclesiastical policies. This timely study will be relevant to ongoing debates about the meaning and nature of marriage, including the theological doctrines and ecclesiastical policies underlying current debates on same-sex marriage.