A Plea for Purity: Sex, Marriage & God [Paperback]

Johann Christoph Arnold (Author), Christoph Arnold (Author), Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1998

In A Plea for Purity, Arnold addresses the pain resulting from broken relationships and the misuse of sexual intimacy. He provides fresh biblical insights into critical issues including the sacredness of sex, the struggle against temptation, the decision to remain single or to marry, child rearing, and divorce and remarriage. A Plea for Purity offers hope, healing, and a new beginning to those who have experienced discouragement or failure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A marvelous exposition on the true values of family life, the beauty of marriage, and human sexuality as God intended it to beA great resource for Catholic educators. -- Fr. Kris Stubna, Diocese of Pittsburgh

Does a wonderful job of putting sex into the larger contexts of Creation, the church, and marriage. Not everyone will agree with all of Arnold's specific conclusions, but every mature believer will benefit from the convictions reflected in this book. -- Bob Fryling, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

Profoundly significantWhile the moral demands of the book are strong and clear, the book is much more positive than negative. I found myself wishing that adults had spoken to me in such a positive vein about these matters when I was a child. -- Steve de Mott, Maryknoll Magazine

This is the work of a very wise man with a very clear vision of God's ideal for marriage and family. Arnold concedes nothing to the impurity of our time, but looks into sexual matters by the light of Scripture with a restrained forthrightness that is truly ennobling. Simple and short, but deep, this is one of the best books available on handling our sexuality in a way that honors God. -- J. I. Packer, Regent College

About the Author

Johann Christoph Arnold is the author of best-selling titles on sexuality, parenting, death and dying, forgiveness, and peace. His books draw chiefly on his experiences as a pastor, and on wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of counseling couples and singles, teens and young adults, prison inmates, the aged, and the terminally ill.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Plough Publishing House; Expanded edition (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874869609
• ISBN-13: 978-0874869606
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerfully Honest, Terribly Hopeful, July 12, 2000

By 

Charles Elliott (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Plea for Purity: Sex, Marriage & God (Paperback)

Several good books on the subject of sexuality, relationship and marriage have come out recently. But this one tops them all. Arnold writes with such clarity, such depth, such relevance. This book gets at the root. Interspersed with stories and personal anecdotes, Arnold reflects on questions we all think about, but rarely ask: Why are we sexual beings? Why do we long for married love? Why do we hurt so badly when relationships are severed? Why is sexual fulfillment and love so vitally connected?

Arnold reflects on why we yearn for love, why it is that the "dating game" is so dissatisfying, why it is we feel empty when sex is outside of commitment, and why it is that God brings a man and a women together. Arnold pulls no punches. He is brutally honest and yet is able to write with tenderness and compassion. If you long to know what it means to have authentic, truly free relationships where you experience the security of lasting love, then read this book!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advice for young adults, May 3, 2000

By 

"joemck" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Plea for Purity: Sex, Marriage & God (Paperback)

In a society immersed in 'sex'. It would be good for the next generation to stop and think deeply about what God has in mind. How do man - woman relationships look when they are under the influence of the Good Spirit? Such reflections early in life help lay a foundation upon which a healthy marriage can be built. This book will help! The foreword by Mother Teresa was one of her last published writings.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rarely will you find such an excellent book on marriage., March 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Plea for Purity: Sex, Marriage & God (Paperback)

Reading "A Plea For Purity", simply thrilled me. I did not expect that an Anabaptist author would be so courageous, and so explicit on this difficult topic. I highly recommend it for young, middle aged, and people who have been married for many years. It is also a very good book for single people.