Sex, God & Marriage

[Pages:226]Sex, God & Marriage

JOHANN CHRISTOPH ARNOLD

THE BRUDERHOF FOUNDATION, INC.

Please share this e-book with your friends. Feel free to e-mail it or print it in its entirety or in part, but please do not alter it in any way. If you wish to make multiple copies for wider distribution, or to reprint portions in a newsletter or periodical, please observe the following restrictions:

? You may not reproduce any material from for commercial gain

? You must include this credit line: "Reprinted from . Copyright 2002 by The Bruderhof Foundation, Inc. Used with permission."

This e-book is a publication of The Bruderhof Foundation, Inc., Farmington, PA 15437 USA and the Bruderhof Communities in the UK, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5DR, UK

Copyright 2002 by The Bruderhof Foundation. Inc. Farmington, PA 15437 USA All Rights Reserved

PREFACE

Five years ago we published the first edition of Sex,

God, and Marriage. Since then readers have responded

to it as to no other Plough title. It seems the book has

touched a tender nerve. Some find its message out of

sync with "reality." Others say it unsettles them more

than they would like to admit. The vast majority have

written to say how grateful they are for the clear yet

compassionate guidance it offers.

If the past is any indication, Sex, God, and Marriage

will continue to prompt many more responses and

spark new discussion. Granted, it is a book whose

message few in our present age care to hear. But for

those who listen, it holds a promise. A reader recently

wrote to us to say, "All my past relationships failed

because they were built on sex, not God. Sex, God,

and Marriage has given me insight into how a true

relationship and marriage should be." May it do the

same for many more.

The Editors April 2002

To my faithful wife, Verena, without whose help

this book would not have been possible.

Sex, God & Marriage Foreword

FOREWORD

In Sex, God, and Marriage we find a message needed today in every part of the world. To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and of loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for God. Purity is the fruit of prayer. If families pray together they will remain in unity and purity, and love each other as God loves each one of them. A pure heart is the carrier of God's love, and where there is love, there is unity, joy, and peace.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta November 1995

v

Sex, God & Marriage Contents

Contents

Foreword ....................................................................v Introduction ..............................................................xi

In The Beginning .............................. 1

In the Image of God..................................................... 2 It Is Not Good forMan to Be Alone ............................ 11 The Two Shall Become One Flesh ..............................19 The First Sin ...............................................................27 Restoring the Image of God .......................................35 Sexuality and the Sensuous Sphere .......................... 44 The Pure in Heart .......................................................52

What God Has Joined Together ..........63

Marriage in the Holy Spirit ....................................... 64 The Mystery of Marriage ............................................72 The Sacredness of Sex ............................................... 83

vi

Sex, God & Marriage Contents

Parenthood and the Gift of Children......................... 92 The Purity of Childhood ...........................................103 For Those Considering Marriage ............................. 116 The Service of Singleness .........................................133

The Spirit of Our Age ..................... 144

With or Without God................................................145 Shameful Even to Mention? ..................................... 157 The Hidden War .......................................................170 What about Divorce and Remarriage?.....................183 Therefore Let Us Keep Watch .................................. 197 From a Reader ......................................................... 207

The Author..............................................................210 Notes ....................................................................... 212

vii

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download