Sweet Surrender: How Cultural Mandates Shape Christian Marriage
Contemplating marriage is, itself, an act of courageous and intelligent cultural engagement, and Dennis Hiebert serves as an expert guide.Sweet Surrenderwill help readers think anew about what marriage, intimacy, sex, and love mean in various cultural contexts.--Jenell Paris, Professor of Anthropology, Messiah CollegeIn this biblically informed book, Hiebert utilizes the concept of sweet surrender to describe the less than healthy way in which biblical ideals for marriage are surrendered to contemporary socio-cultural norms. This insightful book is timely for both [married] individuals and those attempting to understand the complexity of marriage in a postmodern society with competing systems of moral structure. . . . I strongly recommend this book for Christian leaders, teachers, or anyone else who wants [to] understand how the biblical essence of marriage can be recaptured in contemporary society.--Jack Balswick, Senior Professor of Sociology and Family Development, Fuller Theological SeminaryDennis Hiebert offers a provoking challenge to contemporary ideas (Christian and secular) about marriage. From mate selection to intimacy, Dennis suggests 'mandates' we hold about marriage are less biblical than cultural, more influenced by Western individualism than Christian truth. Rather than offering another inspiring read of what marriage can be,Sweet Surrenderprovides a corrective to unrealistic expectations couples hold for this ever-changing institution.--Lisa Graham McMinn, Writer in Residence, George Fox UniversitySweet Surrenderis a sociological take on a pastoral need, a loving, unflinching wake-up call to Christians who are unwittingly being conformed to the world in all but the most superficial ways.--Kurt Armstrong, as reviewed in the Nov/Dec 2013 issue ofFaith Today--Wipf and Stock Publishers