Overview

What does it really mean to be legally married? The answer seems to vary depending on the cultures, religions and laws of different countries. From English teenagers eloping to Gretna Green to tie the knot without their parents' permission, to whether a wife can own property, it's clear that marriage law is different depending on where you live and when. Now, the main debate centres on whether the law should be changed so that same-sex couples can marry. The Scottish and UK governments, plus a number of US states, are to legislate to allow same-sex marriage, prompting both celebration and outrage. But amongst all the assumptions, there are few facts, and the debates about same-sex marriage in the UK and the US are taking place in an informational vacuum filled with emotion and rhetoric. 'Legally Married' combines insights from history and law from the UK and Scotland with international examples of how marriage law has developed. Scot Peterson and Iain McLean show how many assumptions about marriage are contestable on a number of grounds, separate fact from fiction and explain the claims made on both sides of the argument over same-sex marriage in terms of their historical context.

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9780748683789

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Reviews

Legally Married is ... as useful to specialists in law as to Christians trying to make sense of the issue ... Peterson and McLean offer bracing realism rather than wishful thinking as a basis for thinking through contemporary issues [It deserves] a wide readership both inside and outside the Churches. --Bernice Martin, Emeritus Reader in Sociology, University of London Church Times

Author Information

Scot Peterson is Lecturer in Politics, Balliol College, Oxford. He is author of several journal articles and book chapters. Iain McLean was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School and Oxford University.

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