On the one hand, the social relationships of marriage and family seem to have changed rapidly in the past few decades, especially with regard to same-sex marriage, but family structures have always been varied and constantly changing under the impact of economic, political, religious, and other social forces.
On the other hand, the powerful psychological motives and perennial religious dimensions of marriage endure as indelible aspects of the human condition—what we have also called “human nature.”
Because of this, I have found that the framework I proposed originally still offers helpful insights into the sociological, psychological, and religious dimensions of this complex feature of human life.
The book emerged in the wake of my own experience in marriage, family, divorce, and new marriage, so it has an intensity and focus borne of those rich and difficult times. The basic relationship models of hierarchy, equality and organic complementarity still pervade marital relationships.
We still experience a complex interaction between the four “subjects” of marriage and family that I identified then: person, couple, family, and household. This sociological ensemble still finds rich connections to classic Christian symbols of sacrament, vocation, covenant, and communion.
In a short compass, this book tries to show how these elements are woven together in various people, churches, and cultures, offering models for all of us to consider and even incorporate into our own lives.