A Celebration of Sex for Newlyweds

by Douglas E. Rosenau

Reclaim the Bible-based concept of marriage as a satisfying one-flesh relationship. A definitive guide to marital intimacy for newlywed Christian couples, learn how to deepen sexual pleasure and enjoy God’s gift of sexual intimacy with your new spouse. It can be difficult to find biblically based sexual advice, especially early on in your marriage. A licensed psychologist and family therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau answers specific and often unasked questions about sexual topics, presenting newlyweds with detailed techniques and skills to deepen their sexual pleasure and improve their marriages. An excellent tool for premarital education and counseling or as a wedding gift, it’s a must-read for Christian spouses. In this easy-to-read guide, Dr. Rosenau covers topics Grounded in Scripture and written by a pioneer of Christian sex therapy, A Celebration of Sex is comprehensive, direct, and honest, treating sex with the respect it deserves and a Christ-like foundation.

Genres: Marriage, Nonfiction, Relationships, Christian, Adult, Counselling

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2002

Reviews

[Josh Quesenberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Amanda Weeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend as a gift for another friend's personal shower. Yes, if you are my friend, you will probably get a book as a gift from me at least once in your life! It's a short book, not overwhelming, but has a good mix of relational and practical advice. I did think it felt a little dated at times (it was written in 1994) and thought it might not be helpful for everyone, but it seems like a good starter book for newlyweds from a conservative Christian background.

[Chandler Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for premarital counseling. Overall, I found this book immensely practical and helpful. It is nice to read a book on this top that doesn’t shy away from transparency and explicit discussion. It’s also nice to find a book on the topic that is not prudish, legalistic, patriarchal, demeaning, unresearched, strangely spiritual, or any other problem that Christian works on sex can fall into. With this book being from the late 90s, I did find some of the discussion on psychology and gender differences to be outdated, however. But this was not an overwhelming issue throughout the book.

[Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has an informal, fun tone that fits the subject... it’s a quick read! It covers everything pretty much all newlyweds would need to know (leaving out other subject areas like common problems with aging that are in other books). Sometimes the wording is odd (can we stop using “mate” so much – did I just get dropped in Australia or Britain?), but overall good.

The book covers erogenous zones, includes directions for oral sex, and discourages masturbation (is it adding to or taking away from marital intimacy). And his formula… Intimate marriage + mature lovers = fulfilling sex life… I just don’t like the mature word. I know what he’s trying to get at encompassing lots of ideas about respect, caring, give and take, etc. but I think a better word to use would have been ATTENTIVE lovers.

The book presents sex as something fun and intimate and reserved for marriage. It has some ideas for increasing pleasure and several non-standard sex positions (be careful who might be looking over your shoulder, though, there’s some explicit—though tastefully done—line drawings of said positions). But please don’t believe this book that nipple and perineum pleasuring are universally enjoyed by men. LOL

Some of the relationship advice is meh. He starts early (in the intro!) on the “go to counseling” advice, but doesn’t harp on it like Shelia Gregoire does in her books. He also seems to be of the Dave Ramsey financial camp (some good advice—like being good stewards—but against credit cards and says to assign the finances to the most disciplined spouse, but I think it should probably be the man overseeing it… a la Laura Doyle and The Empowered Wife).

[Meg Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I meet with engaged couples, and this book is our recommended reading for when we chat about sex. It set a positive and playful tone, and I think it will be helpful to these couples.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend for ALL newly married couples as an early read! Helpful, centered on Jesus, and a great tool!

[Miller Wortham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracious, Gospel-filled, relationship-oriented book on sex. He never loses sight of the narrative arc of the Gospel or the importance of all aspects of a marriage relationship. The book is full of perspective, gentle encouragement, information about sex differences in men and women, technical tips (with diagrams), and general advice about how to embed sex in a healthy marriage.

[Shaina Fertig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is dated. It’s short, shares great detail and thought for newly weds and some practical exercises for honeymoon or newly weds. I like gifting this one and suggesting it’s reading before wedding night.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!

[Luann Habecker]

a. must. read.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short, concise, packs a punch. Let's you know what you need to know, gives you some ideas. Nonjudgmental. Just wants you to have good sex.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good read. Even though we are not "newlyweds", it still had some helpful info in it that I'd suggest for any couples looking for guidance in the bedroom and beyond.