C.S. Lewis and Divorce

[Guest]

This is an issue I have been pondering for some time but have not managed to answer to my own satisfaction so I thought I'd ask it here: My understanding of Jesus' teaching is that if you marry someone who is divorced then you commit adultery (my source for this is the Sermon on the Mount). C.S. Lewis, however, willingly entered into marriage with a divorcee. How did he justify this? In particular, is there any written source where he explained his reasoning?

[Leslie]

Hello again!

The various biographies of CSL cover this question in one way or another. According to what I have read, his reasoning was this: Since WIlliam Gresham had been married and divorced before marrying Joy Davidman, Joy's marriage to Gresham was not valid in the eyes of the church, and was therefore not a divorced woman when that relationship ended.

I hope this helps.

[Guest]