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The Committed Marriage
Shedding a new light on perennial questions, Elizabeth Achtemeier examines the contemporary state of marriage and family life from a biblical perspective. With candor, clarity, and passion, the author provides insight into many sources of conflict within a marriage--from discipline of children to women's liberation. Viewing Christian marriage as a form of discipleship, she finds in it the key to freedom, order, and fulfillment.
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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February 10, 2015
This is an excellent book on marriage and parenting, though there are a two places in the book where Achtemeier's views are somewhat more liberal than mine.
For example, while discussing the importance of communication before and in the midst of marriage, she makes this suggestion:
"Perhaps one of the healthiest trends in American universities is that toward coed living, where young men and women learn to know one another in their dorms as people and friends in all the daily routines of their college life. There they see one another tousled before breakfast, tired from work, and washing their clothes in the laundry. They develop friendships and understandings of one another quite apart from the usual dating stereotypes. Anxious parents sometimes think that such coed living will lead to promiscuity and sometimes it does; but usually just the opposite is the case. Young people learn to know and appreciate one another as persons instead of merely as sexual objects and partners" (p135).
And in discussing the issue of homosexuality, she writes:
"... homosexuality, no matter how loving its nature (and far too often it is not loving at all, but a psychological aberration spawned by previous distorted relationships with parents in the home), must always be viewed as an aberration and often as a perversion of God's gift of sexuality. Certainly Paul understands it as a unnatural perversion (Romans 1:26, 27), and while we nay not be as condemnatory as he, we should understand homosexuality as a use of sex not intended by God and therefore not finally to be encouraged or glibly accepted" (169).
I share these passages, not to discredit her, but to say that, yes, there were these items that I did not agree with... but... there were many, many great thoughts regarding marriage and parenting that I highly recommend this book to church leadership and to any believer searching for answers to these subjects.
The late Elizabeth R. Achtemeier (passing away on October 25, 2002) was professor of Bible and homiletics at Union Theological Seminary. I look forward to reading her thoughts in her commentaries and other books, such as, "Preaching from the Old Testament."
For example, while discussing the importance of communication before and in the midst of marriage, she makes this suggestion:
"Perhaps one of the healthiest trends in American universities is that toward coed living, where young men and women learn to know one another in their dorms as people and friends in all the daily routines of their college life. There they see one another tousled before breakfast, tired from work, and washing their clothes in the laundry. They develop friendships and understandings of one another quite apart from the usual dating stereotypes. Anxious parents sometimes think that such coed living will lead to promiscuity and sometimes it does; but usually just the opposite is the case. Young people learn to know and appreciate one another as persons instead of merely as sexual objects and partners" (p135).
And in discussing the issue of homosexuality, she writes:
"... homosexuality, no matter how loving its nature (and far too often it is not loving at all, but a psychological aberration spawned by previous distorted relationships with parents in the home), must always be viewed as an aberration and often as a perversion of God's gift of sexuality. Certainly Paul understands it as a unnatural perversion (Romans 1:26, 27), and while we nay not be as condemnatory as he, we should understand homosexuality as a use of sex not intended by God and therefore not finally to be encouraged or glibly accepted" (169).
I share these passages, not to discredit her, but to say that, yes, there were these items that I did not agree with... but... there were many, many great thoughts regarding marriage and parenting that I highly recommend this book to church leadership and to any believer searching for answers to these subjects.
The late Elizabeth R. Achtemeier (passing away on October 25, 2002) was professor of Bible and homiletics at Union Theological Seminary. I look forward to reading her thoughts in her commentaries and other books, such as, "Preaching from the Old Testament."
Displaying 1 of 1 review