Researched by the Ignaria Editorial Team · Published 2026-03-14
The early Church's position on divorce and remarriage was generally restrictive, though not entirely uniform. Christ's teaching in Matthew 19 ("except for sexual immorality") and Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 7 provided the textual framework, and the Fathers interpreted these texts in debated ways. Tertullian represents the strictest position: divorce is prohibited for all causes except fornication, and remarriage after divorce is adultery — full stop. Chrysostom's homilies on Matthew explain the Mosaic permission for divorce as a concession to hardness of heart, not a normative grant, and he affirms Christ's tightening of the standard. Augustine developed the most influential Western synthesis: divorce dissolves the cohabitation but not the bond itself, so remarriage while the former spouse lives is adultery. The Eastern church developed a somewhat more permissive practice under certain circumstances (the "economy" principle), while the Western church codified the Augustinian position into canon law. The Reformers — especially Calvin — allowed divorce for adultery and abandonment, arguing that Christ's "exception clause" permitted remarriage in those cases.
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What the primary sources show
"But Christ prohibits divorce, saying, 'Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, also committeth adultery.' In order to forbid divorce, He makes it unlawful to marry a woman that has been put away. Moses, however, permitted repudiation in Deuteronomy." Tertullian reads Christ as deliberately tightening Mosaic provision — the contrast is the point. (ANF-03)
"'Now it hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away, committeth adultery.' There was an ancient law made, that he who hated his wife, for whatever kind of cause, should not be forbidden to cast her out" — Chrysostom traces the trajectory from Mosaic accommodation to Christ's definitive standard. (NPNF1-10)