Open Embrace: A Protestant Couple Rethinks Contraception [Paperback]

Sam Torode (Author), Bethany Torode (Author), J. Budziszewski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

In this bold critique of modern ideas about sex, marriage, and contraception, Sam and Bethany Torode set forth a vision that is fresh for our times yet rooted in centuries of Christian tradition. Weaving together a sound theology of spousal love with honest information and personal insight, Open Embrace offers a compelling alternative to the unquestioned use of contraception. The Torodes challenge modern lifestyles and popular wisdom about how soon to have children, how many are desirable, and how to prevent them, while still recognizing that the number of children each family can best support will vary. Open Embrace is far more than a case against contraception -- it is a positive affirmation of fertility, childbearing, and prudent self-control. Couples who practice Natural Family Planning, as advocated in this book, cooperate with God's design for their bodies, making wise decisions about family size without losing respect for the mystery and meaning of sex. Whether one agrees or disagrees with its conclusions, Open Embrace is a rewarding read for all engaged and married couples seeking to sharpen their moral discernment.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For such a short book, Open Embrace: A Protestant Couple Rethinks Contraception packs some serious punches. Authors Sam and Bethany Torode argue that all married Christians, not just Roman Catholics, need to seriously examine the widespread usage of contraception, which they feel is against God's plan for creation. (Pregnancy is not a disease, they assert. Why vaccinate against it?) While supporting Natural Family Planning, which they define as informed abstinence, they also make a particularly uncompromising case for stay-at-home moms, which will probably irritate many readers. More controversially, they argue that a culture that worships sex without procreation will sacrifice its children through abortion, claiming that America's increasing permissiveness about legalizing contraception in the 1960s led inexorably to Roe v. Wade in the 1970s. While it's good to see some ecumenical diversity in the contraception debate, some of the basic arguments of this book are problematic.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Sweetly written and solidly argued, this is a head-clearing, heart-warming read. -- J. I. Packer, author of Knowing God

The Torodes combine gentleness of spirit and wisdom beyond their years with the urgency of a fresh "95 Theses." -- Allan Carlson, President of the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society

This clear and well-written book presents a winsome case for the integrity and sweetness of sex 'au naturel.' -- Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Illumined Heart

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802839738
• ISBN-13: 978-0802839732
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 4.7 x 7.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars must-read! April 18, 2002

By Gretchen Louise

Format:Paperback

Sam and Bethany have done a beautiful job with Open Embrace! Humble, practical, inspiring, down-to-earth, well-written, and easy-to-read, it is a book that every couple should read. Singles will appreciate its message as well. Rarely have I read a book which said so clearly what I thought and believed on a subject. Bethany writes so sweetly of the blessing of motherhood, sharing from her heart. And Sam does a great yet humble job of laying forth their findings about birth control and natural family planning. They don't force an opinion on you, but leave the reader to draw their own conclusion, encouraging you to pray and study about it for yourselves. This couple has stood up as a voice for their generation. May they be an inspiration to young and old alike to follow God's design for love and family!

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Antidote to Pre-Marriage Counseling Books April 30, 2002

By Jonathan Harris

Format:Paperback

The preface says: "the previous generation pioneered in forgetting the oldest things. Perhaps this generation will pioneer in remembering them."

If you are looking for an alternative to Birth Control in your Christian marriage, this is the primer for you: a first-person account by a husband and wife team, Sam & Bethany Torode, on the merits of Natural Family Planning (NFP) in their marriage and a short survey on the fall from grace of contemporary Evangelical leadership in the realm of sexual intimacy and attitudes towards the procreation of children. This is a very well and personably written marriage account with grounding in the historical and doctrinal position of the Church through the ages, transcending any particular denominational affiliation. An exhilirating, joyful marriage primer to be recommended for engaged couples, newlyweds, and a sobering side-hand indictment of popular attitudes inside the Evangelical community.

This young couple articulately reflects a growing conscience across Christian denominations on the physical dangers of the birth control pill and on the spiritual benefits of listening to the wisdom of Christians who have gone before us. A hard hitting book that is destined to help rally a coalescing movement in the Protestant Evangelical world . The writers write with a comfort level that comes from growing up in the Evangelical church, but also from first-hand experience in rubbing shoulders with other living and genuine believers in the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic community. "We are not alone!" is the refreshing rallying spirit of this marriage primer.

This book has a "rage de vivre" that is refreshing, unequivocally prolife, and completely in sync with other Christians who have embraced and experienced the notion that in Christian marriage can be found joy and contentment as God intended it to be. Instead of a gradual dissapearance into oblivion, the Christian life is meant to be one of perpetual and exciting growth, and in the area of sexuality and the procreation of children, the Torodes leave no room for exception. This is the antidote to your average pre-marriage counseling book. It will make you believe in love all over again.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Must read for Protestant couples! May 2, 2002

By "jessinoel"

Format:Paperback

I wish that more Protestant leaders and couples would read this book and seriously examine the issue of contraception. When my husband and I were in our pre-marital class, we tried to address contraception and the abortive aspects of the Pill and our views were completely dismissed. I am so glad that a Protestant couple has finally written a book about this. Natural Family Planning is all to often pushed aside without any consideration. This issue was a small step in my beginning to look into Church history and eventually being received into the Catholic Church. The things I have learned about contraception and NFP are often dismissed because I am not taken seriously by my Protestant friends. I hope that this book greatly impacts the Protestant community and that Christians begin to seriously examine this important issue. The only reason I give this book 4 stars is that I wish it were longer. But it is an excellent introduction to the moral controversy that contraceptive use presents to Christians of all denominations.