The Issue of Marriage in A Daring Promise - Book Report/Review Example

“A Daring Promise” by Richard R. Gaillardetz Introduction The paper deals with the book by Richard Gaillardetz and his book “A Daring Promise”. The issue of marriage is one of the most controversial issues of the modern society. The fragility of this social institution and its vague role are considered to be the reasons for the growing number of the divorces. Family values are not preserved as much as in the past, moreover many of them underwent many changes through time. These changes sometimes are not fully accepted and understood by spouses. As a result, children suffer from growing up in single families. The status of modern women in their marriage and after marriage is also of crucial importance for modern sociologists and researchers from different fields. Therefore, modern marriage should be considered from different perspectives and there is a need to solve numerous problems within this social institution and to find the ways out of the challenges of modern marriage. Christianity and marriage Further on we will discuss the book by Richard Gaillardetz and his book “A Daring Promise”. The author considers Christian marriage as a favorable atmosphere for relationship development among both spouses and their nourishment of love to God. There is a need to celebrate marriage every day and to appreciate each other. Moreover, the author justifies the fact that marriage requires a hard work. In the first Chapter of the book Gaillardetz underlines that modern couples develop their world vision and their relationship with regards to modern developments in the modern culture and the modern world. Therefore, it is hard for people to find out their essence and power of their family. This explains the misunderstandings between souses and their divorces. The fact is that new tendencies are not fully understood by young families. In the Second Chapter the author focuses his attention on the necessity of religious basis of a real Christian marriage. There is a need to be a very religious couple in order to support a religious basis of marriage. The second chapter underlines that love unites people by means of their interpersonal relationships and their relations with people around them. Mutual interactions, forgiveness and patience are the basic pillars of marriage. Communication is the way to union, the author claims. Christians have always strived for “communion” and their fellowship with God (Gaillardetz 2007, chapter 2). The third chapter suggests considering the spouses as “companions” on the life journey. Moreover, people around the married couple should be also considered by them as their life companions. In the fourth chapter the author claims that spouses in marriage should call to conversion and their marriage is the place for their working for future salvation. Chapter 5 is the reflection of the necessity to avoid sexuality and to have sex only for procreation. Thus, in the Sixth Chapter the author concludes that marriage is a place for Christian mission. A home for children should be changed into Christian discipleship.  As far as we can see, there is a certain Theology of marriage suggested by the author of the book. Therefore, marriage and God are in constant interrelationship and in case people believe in God, their marriage would be successful and prosperous. A great value of the book as a promotion of Christianity cannot be denied. This book is one of the ways to strengthen the institution of family in the modern world. It is better to appeal for religious beliefs of spouses in order they could create a reliable basis for their marriage. Theological book about marriage is the representation of informative basis of the important role of Christian beliefs in family life and is a perfect adventure of the Christian marriage. The important role of marital companionship cannot be denied. In the modern turbulent world it is very hard for people to remain a unity and represent wholeness throughout their married life, because there is a lack of a strong and reliable basis for relationships. It is evident that relationships between spouses are changing within the years and it is very important to save the relationships and trust between spouses. Christian principles of tolerance and forgiveness are the basic ones for marriage. Moreover, the author claims that the procreative meaning of marriage to is close to the love of the Trinity. Procreation is interpreted by the author as a wider category; there is more social contribution and literal parenthood as well. Gaillardetz claims that there is a need to protect natural family and there is no need for planning of procreation, but rather for successful marriage relationship as God's will discerned in particular circumstances (Gaillardetz 2007, Chapter 4). Marriage is described by Gaillardetz as an ascetical vocation. It is the necessary way for further liberation after death. There is a deep interpersonal communion among people and family life and marriage are basic goods for reorientation of people’s concern as separate and lonely individuals to concerns of us as a whole family. The most crucial moments of married life occur, when people experience numerous hardships in their family life. The author claims that he needs forgiveness from his wife for his deeds and there is a need to respect each other in the marriage and they want to reach delight in their children. Marriage is a sacred place for two beloved persons and there is a need for "sense of absence, longing, and the sense of the limits of the relationship," (Gaillardetz 2007, p. 111) and "terrifying loneliness" if one of the spouses does not feel a close emotional bound with another spouse. Moreover, the author compares the "kenosis" of marriage as in the indication of resurrection­ -in “the call to a self-emptying or dying to our own needs, hopes, and expectations” (Gaillardetz 2007, p. 11-12).  Moreover, the author shows an interesting approach, because he neither focuses on recommendations for successful marriage nor on factors contributing into inequality of spouses in marriage. The author of the book describes a way for harmonious relations in marriage via harmonious relation with God, mutual religious beliefs. From the Christian perspective on marriage, there is the perspective of one's spouse, and gives up any suggestions about the "intrinsic superiority" of one's own worldview (Gaillardetz 2007, p. 66). Therefore, there are no selfish principles in family life and marriage, it is better to focus on common goals. Therefore, we can agree upon the main claim of the Richard Gaillardetz' book, A Daring Promise. Catholic perspective on marriage enables people to consider marriage as reflection on marriage from the perspective of Catholic spirituality. In the introduction to his book, the author claims that “a theologically informed view of marriage that is faithful to the deep wisdom of our Christian tradition and an honest reading of the lived experience of marriage with all its joys and struggles"( Gaillardetz 2007, p. 11). Conclusion The author does not intend to develop a theological perspective on marriage; he wants to show a different vision and representation of marriage in the modern society. The fact that modern spouses have numerous problems with their marriage is that they do not have a strong religious basis for their marriage. Moreover, there is a specific theological vision of the author of the book. Thus, he underlines the importance of self-perfection and self-purification in the name of being closer to God. Therefore, marriage is a hard work and a thorny path to the liberation after death. In case both spouses are devoted to Christian laws, to god’s law, to mutual support and patience, then their family will be prosperous and successful. Works cited 1. Gaillardetz, Richard R. A Daring Promise. Liguori Publication, 2007. Read More