More Lasting Unions: Christianity, the Family and Society (Religion, Marriage, and Family) [Paperback]

Mr. Stephen G. Post (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2000 | Series: Religion, Marriage, and Family

A powerful reassertion of the social and spiritual significance of marriage and the family. Many recent social theorists maintain that marriage and the nuclear family are not particularly important to the fabric of our culture. In this powerful refutation, grounded in both Christian teaching and social-science data, Stephen G. Post asserts that the bonds of marriage and family are fundamental to our social and spiritual well-being. Unique in the field for its wide treatment of relevant issues, More Lasting Unions also takes up these important topics: the special needs of children and of aging parents; adoption as an alternative way of family building; the perils of family self-indulgence and consumerism; balancing family commitments and concern for neighbors.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Those who think that marriage and family have lost their impact on individuals in particular and society in general will be challenged by Post's detailed, thorough examination of history and current demographic trends. Post (The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease and Spheres of Love: Toward a New Ethics of the Family) is professor of religion, philosophy and biomedical ethics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In seven chapters, Post reviews the positive effects strong nuclear families have on society. Specifically, the author discusses marriage and family in relation to Jesus' teaching, the spiritual value of families, the importance of adoption, intensive family care-giving for the ill and elderly and the impact of loving all of humanity unconditionally. Each topic is addressed from a prophetic, ethical standpoint, reflecting Post's belief that love and justice must actively be employed to care for the neediest people. Post shares some basic principles for developing healthy, strong families: place children's needs first, practice monogamy faithfully and behave with equal regard toward all family members. Citing studies and statistics on family welfare, he reveals the high cost of centering life around the exclusive goal of meeting one's own needs and argues that poverty, crime, teen pregnancies and child abuse result when families lose their strength and solidarity. General readers and professionals alike will find this book, which effectively reinforces the importance of families in today's society, both enlightening and instructive. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

General readers and professional alike will find this book...both enlightening and instructive. -- Publishers Weekly, April 10, 2000

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (April 27, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802847072
• ISBN-13: 978-0802847072
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,674,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marriage Matters, July 16, 2001

By 

William Muehlenberg (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: More Lasting Unions: Christianity, the Family and Society (Religion, Marriage, and Family) (Paperback)

This book looks at the institutions of marriage and the family from a combination of perspectives: the social sciences, theology and ethics. The underlining theme of this book is that the retreat away from marriage is a matter of great concern, Both from a religious and a social viewpoint, the trend to make marriage an optional extra is a dangerous and worrying development.

Post looks at the social evidence which supports the importance of marriage and family, especially in relation to the well-being of children. He also looks at marriage and family in history, and examines how religious attitudes towards the family have developed over the centuries. He then looks at how Christian theology pictures marriage and family. And he examines some special issues, like adoption and care-giving, the role of husband and wife, and the place of romance and child-rearing.

This volume is a helpful blend of the social and the theological. It shows how important marriage is both to individuals and societies, and demonstrates how the insights of faith and the social sciences complement each other.