Implications of denominational perception of divorce for the ministry of Naval chaplains

2016·4.9 MB·English

by  Cline, David L.

IMPLICATIONS OF DENOMINATIONAL PRECEPTION OF DIVORCE FOR THE
MINISTRY OF NAVAL CHAPLAINS
A THESIS-PROJECT
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULITY OF
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
BY
DAVID L. CLINE
JANUARY 2016
Copyright © 2016 by DavidL. Cline. All Rights Reserved.
TABLES v
ACKNOWLEDGMENT VI
ABSTRACT Vll
CHAPTER1 PROBLEM AND SETTING 1
MINISTRY SETTING 6
THESIS 8
ASSUMPTIONS 10
METHODOLOGY 12
PARAMETERS 16
DESIGN OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS 17
CHAPTERSUMMARY 18
CHAPTER2 BIBLICAL THEOLOGY 20
OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY 22
INTERBIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS 33
NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY 36
CHAPTER3 LITERATURE REVIEW 46
VIEWS ON DIVORCE 49
DIVORCED MINISTERS 65
FORGIVENESS 68
SUMMARY 71
CHAPTER4 PROJECT DESIGN 72
SURVEY DESIGN 73
SURVEY RESULTS 78
FOCUS GROUPS 85
PROJECT DESIGN SUMMARY 91
III
CHAPTER 5 OUTCOMES 92
PERSONAL VIEW 93
OBSERVATIONS 96
PRACTICAL OUTCOME 102
RECOMMENDATIONS 105
THESIS-PROJECT SUMMARY 109
APPENDICES 112
Appendix A ResearchQuestions for Participants 112
Appendix B Individual Results ofSurvey 114
Appendix C Trifold Pamphlet 138
Appendix D Study Guide 140
BIBLIOGRAPHY 149
VITA 155
IV
TABLES
Table 1 Participants' Faith Groups 77
Table 2 Accepted Reasons for Divorce 79
Table 3 Special Circumstances for Divorce 81
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WhenIproposedthe ideafor the thesis-projectto Dr. Swetland, not only didhe
understand my reasoning for wanting to conductthe research from an academic
standpoint, he sawwith sage pastoral vision the pastoral need for me to do the research.
Forhis guidance and mentoring, Iwill always be grateful and indebted.
VI
ABSTRACT
Divorcedministers face the possible loss ofcredentials. Since denominations
have varying practicesregarding divorced clergy and non-clergy, a resource listinghow
divorced is handled would be helpful inministering to those who are divorced. This
research began by surveyingwhatthe Bible says about marriage and divorce, and
reviewing the literature coveringthe four prominentviews ofdivorce and remarriage.
Twenty-three active duty Navy Chaplains were surveyed and two focus groups conducted
to determine how denominations approach the issue ofdivorce. A pamphlet was created
and a study guide developed to serve as a resource.
Vll
CHAPTERl
PROBLEMAND SETTING
...We will effectivelydeliverreligious ministry, strengthen ourpeople and commands,
andcreate more resilientmilitaryandcivilian personnel andtheirfamilies...People are
the foundation oftheNaval Service. Servingourpeople remains our#I priority as we
seekto enrichtheir lives bymeetingtheirreligiousand pastoral care needs, inspiring
hope, strengtheningtheirspiritual well-being, and increasingtheirresilienceand
readiness.
-Margaret G. Kibben, Navy ChiefofChaplains'
Navy Chaplains come from different denominations and religions to provide
religious ministry to members oftheNavy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant
Marines-collectively referred to as sea services. The Navy Chaplain Corps "is a
religiously impartial governmental organizationwith no inherenttheology ofits own.,,2
When someone requires help regarding a specific belief, Chaplains refer the personto the
appropriate Chaplain. Arguing the validity ofthe person's beliefis notpart ofthejob.
Chaplains adhere to the guiding principles ofNaval Chaplaincy:
• We are faithful to our individual religious traditions and practices.
• We respect the right ofothers to hold spiritual beliefs and religious practices
different from our own.
• We cooperate and collaborate in ministry.
• We are committed to the highest standards ofmorality and personal integrity.
• Weare committedto professionalism in the performance ofduty. 3
This thesis-project is intendedwiththese sameprinciples in mind. Itis not written
to proclaim, discover, norassertthe correctview ofdivorce, but merely servesto identify
, Margaret G. Kibben, The ChiefofNavy Chaplains FY2015AnnualGuidance (Annual
Guidance presentedto all Navy Chaplains, September25,2014).
2Secretary ofthe Navy, ProfessionalNaval Chaplaincy, Secretary ofthe Navy
Instruction (SECNAVINST) 5351.1, April 21, 2011.
3 "Chaplain's Guide to Professional Naval Chaplaincy," United StatesNaval Chaplain
Corps, November2011, accessed January 17,2015,
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupersnpc/officer/communitymanagers/StaffCorps/Documen
ts/CHC_Chaplains_Guide_to_PNC_-_2INOVII.pdf.
what various denominations believe and practice. No intention is made to disparage or
debate different views. The purpose isto ultimately help those ministers who may be
going through a divorce orhave already endured a divorce.
Statistics onthe divorce rate in Americarange from 40-50 percentto 3.6
marriages per 1,000 ending indivorce.4 Regardless ofthe source ormethod of
calculation, divorce has a devastating impact on society. This has beentrue throughout
Biblical and Churchhistory. Divorce is mentioned three times inthe book ofLeviticus,
five times inthe bookofDeuteronomy. Moses alloweda bill ofdivorcement early after
the Israelites left Egypt (Duet. 24:1) and we can "assumethatdivorce was as prevalent in
Israelthen as in otherancient NearEastern societies."s BothJesus and the Apostle Paul
gave teachings ondivorce and addressed questions onthe subject (Matthew 19:3-12; 1
Corinthians 7:1-40).
Churchhistory shows the early Church Fathers had to address the issues of
marital discord and divorce intheir writings, as well as contendwith local laws.6
ProtestantReformer MartinLutherwrote in 1529 "...every day we see marriages broken
by the devil through adultery, unfaithfulness, discord, and all mannerofill.,,7 His
AlanE. Kazdin, ed., Encyclopedia ofPsychology (Oxford University Press, 2000),
4
accessed January 14, 2015, http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/46001OO.aspx; Centerfor
Disease Control and Prevention, accessedJanuary 15,2015,
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastasts/marraige-divorce.htm.
SDavid Instone-Brewer, Divorce andRemarriage in the Bible: The Social andLiterary
Context (Grand Rapids, MI: WilliamB. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002), 23.
Alex R. G. Deasley, Marriage & Divorce in the Bible andthe Church (Kansas City,
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MO: Beacon Hill Press, 2000), 193-208.
7Jane E. Strohl, "LutheronMarriage, Sexuality, and the Family." In The Oxford
HandbookofMartin Luther's Theology, (June 2014): 172, accessed January 27, 2015,
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reference to a daily occurrence indicates that the potential for divorce was common even
then. In one ofhis earlytreatises, Luther also acknowledges the issue ofdomestic abuse
and acknowledges thatthere are "rude, brutal, and unbearable husbands."g In his book,
Divorce andRemarriage: BiblicalPrinciples andPastoralPractices, Comes list figures
for several European countries, as well as America, showing an increase in divorce rates
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throughoutthe lasttwo centuries.
Adding to the confusion ofunderstanding a Biblical perspective ofdivorce is the
lack ofinformation in Scripture. The Bible does not directly address the issue ofspousal
orchild abuse, incarceration, orother situations so frequently encounteredbythose
contemplating divorce. Scriptural teachings on divorce are presentedthrough literature
leftto interpretation as to whetherit is allegoryor literal (i.e., Hosea), orin contextual
relationto Jewish Law, whichprescribedthe stoning ofa rebellious son (Deut. 21:18-21).
Inthe Sermon onthe Mount Jesus saidhe came to "fulfill the law" (Matt. 5:17)
and equated anger with murder(Matt. 5:21-22), lust with adultery (Matt. 5:27-28), and
the principle ofnon-resistance by sayingto tumthe other cheek, ratherthan defend
oneself(5:38-42). Otherpassages addressing divorce in Scripture canbe viewed as
possible poetic phrasing (Mal. 2:16; Matt. 5:31) oraddressing specific cultural situations
http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/l0.l093/oxfordhb/9780199604708.001.0001/oxf
ordhb-9780199604708-e-046, 172.
gStrohl, "Lutheron Marriage," 177.
9AndrewComes, Divorce andRemarriage: BiblicalPrinciples andPastoralPractice
(Fearn, UK: Mentor Imprint, 2012),8-12.
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