Religious teachings and attitudes towards divorce and remarriage, and the equality of men and women in the family and society.

What this dot point is asking

Edexcel wants you to explain religious teachings and attitudes towards divorce and remarriage in Christianity and Islam, the use of ethical theories, non-religious views, and religious teaching on the equality of men and women in the family and society. Both topics are part of the relationships and families theme and are common Evaluate questions.

Religious attitudes to divorce and remarriage

Divorce is the legal ending of a marriage. Because both faiths value lifelong marriage, divorce is a serious matter, and attitudes to it diverge, which makes it a frequent exam topic.

The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a permanent sacrament that cannot be dissolved, "what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Matthew 19:6), so it does not recognise divorce; instead it may grant an annulment if the marriage was never truly valid. Most Protestant churches accept divorce as a regrettable last resort when a marriage has irretrievably broken down, and allow remarriage, because they believe God is forgiving and that staying in a broken or harmful marriage can cause more harm. Islam permits divorce but treats it as the most disliked of the things Allah allows; it encourages reconciliation and a waiting period (iddah) first, after which divorce and remarriage are permitted (Surah 2:226 to 241), with somewhat different procedures in Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The shared ideal is lifelong marriage, with traditions differing on how to respond when it fails.

The equality of men and women

While both faiths affirm equality of worth, they differ over roles. Some traditional Christians and Muslims teach that men and women have different but complementary roles in the family, for example the husband providing for and protecting the family and the wife having a central role in the home and raising children, while still being equal in dignity. Other Christians and Muslims, and most non-religious people, stress full equality in all areas, including work, leadership and decision-making, and point to women who led and taught in the early communities. Today many religious women work in all professions, and some traditions ordain women as ministers while others do not, which is a further point of divergence. For the exam, distinguish clearly between equality of worth (widely affirmed) and views on roles (where traditions differ).

Bringing the views together

Divorce and gender equality both flow from beliefs about the purpose of marriage and family. Those who stress the lifelong, sacramental nature of marriage are least likely to accept divorce, while those who stress compassion and the avoidance of harm accept it as a last resort. Those who stress complementary roles see men and women as equal but different, while those who stress full equality see them as equal in role as well as worth. Situation ethics, used by some Christians, would judge each case by what is most loving, which can support divorce where a marriage causes suffering. Non-religious people generally accept divorce when a relationship has ended and support full gender equality.

For the exam, attribute views carefully, use sources accurately (Matthew 19:6, Galatians 3:28, Surah 2:226 to 241), and treat the topics with respect. A strong Evaluate answer on divorce weighs the ideal of lifelong marriage against compassion when a marriage breaks down, and considers the welfare of children and the mercy of God, reaching a justified conclusion.