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Marriage and Familychallengesthe
readertothinkaboutchoicesinmarriage
andfamilyrelationshipswithinabiblical
context.Inourreviewof differentmarriage
andfamilystyles,wehopetostimulate
thinkingabouttheadvantagesand
disadvantagesof eachstyle.Throughout
thistheory-basedbutpracticaltext,the
readerwillfindreal-lifecasestudiesof

marriageandfamilyrelationshipstohelpin

definingandunderstandingthedifferences

amongfamilies.Eachchapterincludesa

Christianviewpoint,asummary,key

concepts,andquestionsforthought.

Asaresultof readingMarriage and

Family,studentsshoulddevelopan

understandingof marriageandfamilylife

inrelationshiptobiblicalmodels.Seeing

marriageandfamilylifewithaChristian

perspectivewillultimatelyhelpstudents

makedecisionswhichwilltrulybenefittheir

ownfamilystyles.

Wewouldliketothankthemanypeople

whoreviewedthistextandmadehelpful

suggestions.Among them are marriage and

family therapists and faculty members of

several Christian colleges.We especially

note Charles Kaufmann,Central Christian

College; Scott Monsma,Northwestern

College (Iowa); SusanWarner,Cedarville

University;Walter Chung,Eastern College;

Richard Durfield,Azusa Pacific University;

Paul Stoltzfus,George Fox University; and

Dan Poff,Jim Beers,and Dennis Banter,

IndianaWesleyan University.In addition

we wish to thank CherylVance,Stephanie

Castle,and Mallory Tucker for their

assistance in researching topics.We would

especially like to thank our families,for

without their patience and support,this

book could not have been written.

Together,wehaveproducedamarriage

andfamilytextwehopewillgivegloryto

GodastheCreatorandSustaineroffamilies.

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Preface

andHispeople.Inlaterchapters,the

textdiscusseswaysinwhichthis

covenantistestedanddeepened.The

textalsoexamineswhysomecouples

decidetodissolvetheirmarriages.

3.Mutual submission:While this

concept may seem anachronistic in

our modern culture,Marriage and

Familysheds light on the biblical

context for mutually fulfilling

relationships.Marriages rooted in

mutuality will be more vital and

sustainable than marriages based on

unequal power and a faulty

understanding of respect and roles.

4.Freedom:Contemporaryculture

oftenportraysmarriageandfamily

lifeassomethingthatrestricts

personalfreedomandkeepspeople

inbondage.ByapplyingChristian

principles,Marriage and Family

stressesthatmarriageultimatelyisa

liberatingexperience,freeingspouses

tobealltheycanbeforChrist.