Customer Reviews

Preserve Them, O Lord: A Guide for Orthodox Couples in Developing Marital Unity

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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This book is written with reference to the Orthodox wedding service, but is a wonderful resource for anybody in or preparing for a Christian marriage. In addition to very interesting and helpful discussions about the meaning of Christian marriage, money management, and other issues, the book contains questionnaires for the partners to answer, to get them to think about and discuss how they feel about a variety of issues, from raising children and birth control, to spending habits, to expectations of what married life should be like. My husband and I used this book together when we were engaged- it really showed us several areas we had not really thought about (that have since become important in our marriage), and also made us happy to see how well we agreed on so many issues. A wonderful resource for marriage!

I used this book a few years ago when I was attending classes before getting married. This book (and the video series associated with it) is very good, and I would recommend it to just about anyone, whether you are married, thinking about marriage, or thinking about not marrying. It's main strength is that it focuses on making marriage realistic. Yes, there are sections that talk about all the lofty virtues and whatnot there are associated with marriage. And that is important. But it also lets you know how difficult it can be--that it is in it's own way a cross to carry. It is also full of practical tips, funny anecdotes, and all the other stuff that makes a good book about this type of subject into a great one.

I have only two criticisms (and they are minor ones!). First, it would have been nice had sex not been covered in such a small degree. I guess this was done so as to allow each person's pastor freedom to discuss (or not discuss) the issue as the couple wanted. Still, a section or two about general views from an Orthodox perspective would have been nice. And second, I would very respectfully disagree with Fr. John Mack's statement that divorce was "almost unknown among traditionally Orthodox people ... because of the unique Orthodox view of marriage". I think it is demonstrable that the reason divorce was almost unknown in Orthodox cultures was for the same reasons that it was almost unknown in Catholic and Protestant cultures in the Old World: for cultural and familial reasons mostly having to do with stigmas and negative financial considerations.

I am currently using this workbook with my beau of three years. We are going to be bethroed in May and married in September. It is inspiring and gives us hope in this Post-Christian age. I highly recommend for young Orthodox people who are preparing for marriage.

I would highly recommend this book to any Orthodox Christian preparing for marriage. The topics raised in each chapter are very important for every engaged couple to tackle. Moreover, any couple who is already married will benefit from reading this book too. There are plenty of questions after each chapter, and in the supplemental readings, which really challenge the engaged or married couple. Reading through this book with prayer and the guidance of a spiritual counselor will certainly prepare a couple for the challenges of married life.

My husband and I were recommended to read this book by our priest. It is a very easy to read book divided into chapters with questions at the end. The book touched on money, family, etc. The book also gave passages corresponding to scripture or the wedding service, which gave a nice reference for passages to look up and what they mean. We found it to be very informative, and the book brought up things to discuss we had never thought about.

I and my fiancé were suggested to read this book as we were preparing for our marriage. It's an excellent resource for an Orthodox couple or any other Christian couple to uncover details about the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony and marriage itself - from the values, priorities, expectations, similarities, differences, planning and spending time together, preparing for parenting, intimacy... It teaches that marriage is one of the seven Holy Mysteries or "Sacraments" of the Orthodox Church. It is actually an expression of God's love for humankind. In marriage, a man and a woman become one spirit and one body through Holy Spirit. It describes that the marriage ceremony of the Orthodox Church is steeped in ritual and symbolism.
I am very much recommending this book for every Christian married couple!
Silvia

I thought this book might be a chore to go through, but it's easy to read. I highly suggest it for couples before getting married because it will make you think about things that should be discussed before marriage but usually is not.