ONLINE FIRST
published on February 21, 2023
Joseph L. Lombardi, S.J.
https://doi.org/10.5840/philtheol2023217149
Divorce and Remarriage
A Tridentine Conundrum
In a magisterial book-length study, Professor E. Christian Brugger concludes that the canons of the Council of Trent, given the beliefs and intentions of its participants, provide ¡°a dogmatic definition of the absolute indissolubility of marriage as a truth of divine revelation¡± (original italics). The present concern is whether Brugger¡¯s arguments support this conclusion. Also subject to scrutiny are the relevance, plausibility, and consistency of the conciliar thinking on which his arguments are premised. It will be argued that Brugger¡¯s conclusion is unwarranted, leaving the question of divorce and remarriage an open one.