Book Review

Marriage Made In Eden: A Pre-Modern Perspective for a Post-Christian World by Alice P. Matthews and M. Gay Hubbard. Baker Books, 2004.

            Here is a thoughtful delineation of biblical principles for marriage. The authors offer an informative interpretation of the cultural roots that influence our expectations of gender roles. These cultural expectations are contrasted with enduring biblical principles. The author’s conclusions about the role of love, authority, mission, and the role of the church regarding marriage stand in sharp contrast to popular Christian literature. I don’t know of another book that treats the biblical material on marriage as fairly and as thoroughly. This is challenging reading whose message is long overdue.

Some of you may remember the authors from their Denver days. Dr. Matthews has spoken in our church when she was at Denver Seminary. She is now at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Boston. Dr. Hubbard was a local psychotherapist who now practices in Kansas.

                                                              Chuck Orwiler