Sometimesstudentsenteramarriage
andfamilycoursehopingfora“cookbook”
approach—awaytofindasecretrecipefor
ahappyfamilylife.Of course,thereisno
secretrecipeinMarriage and Family: A
Christian Perspective.We(theauthors)
challengemuchof theadvicegivenin
popularmediaoutlets,andeveninother
secularmarriageandfamilytexts,making
thistextsuitableasanintroductory
marriageandfamilytextbookforcollege
andadultagegroups.“If I had only known.
..”Wehaveoftenheardourstudentssay
thisinourclassesovertheyears.Thistext
providesstudentsanopportunityto
examinefamilyissueswithinaChristian
framework,inordertogainthepractical
knowledgeandtoolstheywillneed
throughoutlife.
Marriage and Familytakes a life-cycle
approachsimilartoCarterandMcGoldrick
(2005),which is reflected in the
arrangement of the chapters.The authors
first discuss the science and history of the
American family.Subsequent chapters
considerdating,love,andspouseselection;
the stages in marriage and family life;
cultural variations in family patterns; and
family issues such as finances,careers,
conflict,divorce,and remarriage.While
these topics may be found in other
marriage and family textbooks,what sets
this textbook apart from other texts is its
Christian focus.By integrating biblical
principles into every chapter,Marriage
and Familyaffirms the Lordship of Jesus
Christ in all family relationships.
What defines a“Christian”family?
How does theAmerican family of the
1800s differ from today’s family?What are
the implications of those differences?
Should a family with young children
operate in the same way as a family with
teenagers? Should an older married couple
expect to relate to one another as they did
when they were newlyweds?
We believe the Bible holds the answers
to these questions,offering sound
guidance on how to build and sustain
godly relationships.Just as we all are God’s
unique creations—individually designed
for God’s purposes— our marriages and
family relationships are also unique.While
your marriage may not look like your
parents’,we believe that certain broad
Christian principles should be part of
every marriage:xii
Marriage and Family
1.Love:Thistextdiscussesthedifferent
typesof loveandhowthesetypes
relatetomateselection.Theauthors
offerguidelinesforinvolvingGodin
relationshipdecisionsbyshowing
whichkindof loveismostclosely
alignedwiththeloveChristmodeled.
2.Covenant:Thisiswhatdistinguishes
marriagefromotherrelationships.In
discussingmateselection,Marriage
and FamilyexploresChristianideals
of covenant,takingasitsmodelthe
covenantrelationshipbetweenGod