Religious views about divorce and remarriage
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian teachings and Christian views on divorce, remarriage and ethical arguments relating to them
Key learning points
- The Bible teaches about divorce and remarriage however Christians interpret the text differently
- The Catholic Church does not allow divorce however in specific cases it does allow for an annulment or separation
- Other Churches have made statements on divorce saying it is not desirable but may be allowed in specific cases
- Some Christians view remarriage as adultery wheras others allow it in exceptional circumstances
- Christians respond differently to the ethical arguments of compassion, sanctity of marriage vows and situation ethics
Keywords
Annulment - a formal declaration that a marriage was not valid
Civil - non-religious, secular e.g. civil marriage
Divorce - the legal ending of a marriage
Remarriage - another marriage after a previous marriage has ended (following divorce or widowhood)
Sanctity - something that is holy or sacred
Common misconception
An annulment is the same as a divorce.
An annulment says the marriage was not valid, wheras a divorce ends a marriage.
Teacher tip
Remind students that a civil marriage/divorce and a religious marriage/divorce are different things.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the term used for the legal ending of a marriage?
Q2.What is one requirement for legally getting divorced in England and Wales?
Q3.What impact did World War II have on divorce rates?
Q4.Which of the following is an ethical argument against divorce?
Q5.What is the legal requirement for remarriage in the UK?
Q6.What ethical argument might support divorce for unhappy couples?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus says, “Whoever divorces his wife and another commits adultery…”
Q2.Which of the following is a belief held by the Catholic Church regarding divorce?
Q3.What does the Catholic Church teach about remarriage after divorce?
Q4.According to Jesus’ teaching in Mark 10, what should happen to a marriage once God has joined a couple?
Q5.Which Christian denomination recognises that divorce may occur in exceptional circumstances and may allow remarriage in church?
Q6.What is the Catholic Church’s view on separation in cases of marriage difficulties?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Religious views about divorce and remarriage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Religious views about divorce and remarriage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Relationships and families unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.