Strengthening Your Marriage [Paperback]

Wayne A. Mack (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

Wayne Mack recognizes the challenges involved in building a strong marriage. He also knows that Scripture provides the method and means for meeting those challenges with growing success. In this volume Dr. Mack has gathered a wealth of practical information on marital roles, communication, finances, sex, child raising, and family religion. This valuable counseling aid for pastors can also be used with great benefit by couples on their own.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing; 2 edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875523854
• ISBN-13: 978-0875523859
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant because it's Biblical, September 4, 2000

By 

Godly Gadfly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strengthening Your Marriage (Paperback)

Wayne Mack completed his doctoral studies at Westminster Theological Seminary under the supervision of Jay E. Adams, who is world renowned for his Reformed approach to the field of counselling. Mack has largely followed in the footsteps of his mentor. He is the author of several books, all of which reflect the influence of the Jay Adams approach to counselling. Mack is currently the Director of the Christian Counselling and Educational Foundation in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Strengthening Your Marriage was initially developed as part of the requirements of Mack's doctoral program under Adams, and this practical volume is essentially the fruit of these studies. Not surprisingly, it reflects the sensible and solidly Biblical approach of Adams throughout.

Taking his starting point in the divine blueprint for marriage revealed in Genesis 2:24, Mack focuses on developing a Biblical understanding of becoming "one flesh" in all areas of marriage. Each area receives a solidly Biblical exposition, with the following topics being addressed: unity through understanding God's purpose for marriage; unity through a clear understanding of the wife's responsibilities and husband's responsibilities; unity through good communication; unity through financial agreement; sexual unity; unity through a common philosophy of raising children; promoting and maintaining unity by means of family religion. Each chapter is followed by a comprehensive set of questions which reinforce the content of the chapter by requiring the readers to study various Bible verses and apply these Biblical principles to their relationship.

Mack's intention is to promote solidly Biblical pre-marital and marital counselling. The book is primarily intended to be used by pastors and counsellors as a guide and workbook in such counselling. However, it also has the potential to be used as an effective tool by couples on their own.

The main strength of Strengthening Your Marriage is that it is thorough, Reformed, and Biblical. Mack constantly refers to Scripture, and yet has the gift of being very concrete and practical at the same time. Be warned however - the density of its content means that this book is not an easy armchair read. However, Mack never intended this to be an armchair read in the first place - it requires systematic study and work on the part of readers. Such study and work, however, is sure to reap rich rewards.

In short, pastors and elders alike will find Strengthening Your Marriage to be an excellent tool for dealing with the basic aspects of marriage. Jay Adam's recommendation is one I enthusiastically endorse: "Dr. Mack has produced a volume to which you will turn again and again. Buy it; it belongs on your shelf!"

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad..., March 25, 2008

By 

The Lady "D. J." (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strengthening Your Marriage (Paperback)

I would have liked to give this three and a half stars, but since I have to use whole numbers only...

I picked this book up after seeing it recommended by my church. I was looking for a study my husband and I could do together, and this one seemed useful.
The book is laid out in outline format, with study questions at the end that you're supposed to go over with your spouse. We both liked that, because too many marriage books are verbose to a fault, laboring over simple points. While this author can tend to ramble, the outline format really limits that fault. The study questions range from simplistic to complicated, which is nice (again, too many study books have only simple questions). I was also impressed by the amount of scripture used to back his points. However, I think that he was a little free with his interpretation of scripture, stretching certain passages to say what he thinks they should say. There were a few other faults we found with the book, mostly having to do with the organization of materials and the quality of the writing.
Overall, I would recommend this book, both for pre-marital counseling and for use in established marriages. There are plenty of useful points, and it's a good refresher on old information (for those who are Christians and who have been married for a while...like my husband and me). It's definitely better than a lot of marriage counseling books out there, and our complaints are minor in light of the usefulness of the information presented here.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continues to lead the field in practical help for marriages, June 22, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Clarksville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strengthening Your Marriage:this edition is out of print with the publisher Use ISBN 9780875523859 (Paperback)

Wayne Mack wrote this book 19 years ago and it continues to be the best and most practical and effective for couples seeking long term biblical change. This is an explicitly Christian resource. It is understandable and down to earth. It is also only for the stout of heart who are ready to look hard at themselves and who want God's help to change in the setting of their marriages.