Under what conditions does the Bible support divorce? It seems that Jesus talks out against divorce.  But in other places, divorce is allowed.  How does this all play out and where does the bible really stand on this?  Is it a sin or is it just part of the culture?

I'm seeking the exegesis of mainstream Protestant denominations, since I believe that these will all be similar (if not identical).  If differences of interpretation exist between the different denominations, please let me know and I'll refine my scope a bit.
I think Jonathon started with a great passage for this question, but stopped short of an interpretation that carries the full weight of the passage.

The passage has two different parts. One part addresses marriages between believers, the other mixed marriages.

First, let's take the part between believers:


  1st Corinthians 7:10-11 (ESV)
  To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.


This is a clear mandate that believers should NOT divorce. There are no conditions given, no ifs, ands or buts. Now if we move on in the passage the group being addressed changes:


  1st Corinthians 7:12-15 (ESV)
  To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.


Here relationships between a believer and a non-believer are address. Still the charge is to stay together. If there is a divorce it is ONLY to be allowed at the insistence of the non-believer, the believer does not have the option of requesting a divorce, but neither does he have the authority to forbid the other party from leaving. The most peaceful thing to do if you can't convince them to stay is let them have their way.

This should also be balanced with the warning in the next book about not marrying an unbeliever in the first place. It's a situation that should NEVER be entered into:


  2nd Corinthians 6:14-15 (ESV)
  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?


This leaves the passage in 1st Corinthians making an allowance for marriages where one partner came to faith after the marriage AND the non-believing party is insisting on a divorce.

Lastly I would like to point out that as a God ordained sacrament, all marriage is involves a covenant and God hates covenant breakers. I started out pointing out how the 1st Corinthians passage forbid divorce between believers, but one could also clearly show from Scripture that God hates ALL divorce. For example see Malachi 2:10-16.

TL;DR Based on these and other passages I would say that the literal answer to your question is that the Bible does not support divorce under ANY circumstances.