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The Myth of the Greener Grass
Family counselor Petersen speaks frankly about extramarital affairs and offers both preventive and healing measures. “A timely topic! The book is extremely readable, practical, and helpful.” "—David Mains, director, The Chapel of the Air" Petersen's best-selling book on the problems of extramarital affairs is even more relevant today than when it was first published ten years ago. Married Christian are not immune to infidelity. When an affair leaves broken lives and relationship in its wake, those involved need the hope that Christ offers. How can an affair be prevented? And what can be done to find healing for damaged relationships? Now updated with a chapter on recovery, this book offers practical advice for couples facing the realities of adultery or those desiring to “affair-proof” their marriage.
233 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 11, 2018
The highest recommendation I can give this book is that after giving it to several couples where one spouse was having an affair, the scales of self-deception fell off their eyes, and they recognized that the book was right about how their affair developed and felt, and how the situation was false.
I only had one situation where a couple was not helped by information in the book. They pointed out that the author granted that the principles in the book did not apply to them! According to the author, the Myth of the Greener Grass did not apply to "serial” adulterers. A serial adulterer jumps from one married person to another. In this couple, the wife had been previously married and divorced her previous husband to be with this guy who was married. She recognized the pattern (and now, yes, he was involved with another married woman). The serial adulterer needed professional counseling because the situation was deeper than temptation, loneliness, and the usual causes.
The book contains a lot of helpful information on temptation, sexual purity, and God’s power. Any book on adultery is going to include a lengthy section on forgiveness. Petersen gives a lot of insight into the struggle to forgive and the necessity to forgive. He is brief, however, on what it means that God has forgiven us, and the place of the cross in our forgiveness.
The book is out of print and exists in two editions. The updated edition of The Myth of the Greener Grass includes a chapter on recovery. This book offers practical advice for couples facing the realities of adultery or those desiring to “affair-proof” their marriage.
In many ways the book has not become dated, but it could pay more attention to the dynamics in the workplace, with the growing intimacy between coworkers that leads to emotional and sexual affairs. The strength of the book is that it helps both the unfaithful spouse and the betrayed partner.
I only had one situation where a couple was not helped by information in the book. They pointed out that the author granted that the principles in the book did not apply to them! According to the author, the Myth of the Greener Grass did not apply to "serial” adulterers. A serial adulterer jumps from one married person to another. In this couple, the wife had been previously married and divorced her previous husband to be with this guy who was married. She recognized the pattern (and now, yes, he was involved with another married woman). The serial adulterer needed professional counseling because the situation was deeper than temptation, loneliness, and the usual causes.
The book contains a lot of helpful information on temptation, sexual purity, and God’s power. Any book on adultery is going to include a lengthy section on forgiveness. Petersen gives a lot of insight into the struggle to forgive and the necessity to forgive. He is brief, however, on what it means that God has forgiven us, and the place of the cross in our forgiveness.
The book is out of print and exists in two editions. The updated edition of The Myth of the Greener Grass includes a chapter on recovery. This book offers practical advice for couples facing the realities of adultery or those desiring to “affair-proof” their marriage.
In many ways the book has not become dated, but it could pay more attention to the dynamics in the workplace, with the growing intimacy between coworkers that leads to emotional and sexual affairs. The strength of the book is that it helps both the unfaithful spouse and the betrayed partner.
May 8, 2014
A good book, lacks some insights that I would consider very important (like to process of growing of intimacy between friends and colleagues that is such a common source of emotional and bodily affairs and the process of healing done by God), but for its years it is still very actual and challenging book. Honest in description, tackling the problem from several sides, challenges both the wayward spouse and betrayed partner.
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August 21, 20120477
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews