This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John PiperMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
John Piper's book, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence was written by a theologian whose forty years have proven the biblical truths exposed in its pages. Piper admits his frailty as a husband, and shares some interesting ways of dealing with idiosyncrasies and flaws. Using a word picture of a compost pile, Piper recommends forgiveness and forbearance as a means of overlooking faults. There are times when one must lovingly shovel "cow patties" into a compost pile and choose to leave them there and walk away (pp. 51-60). The chief "the aim of this book is to enlarge [our] vision of what marriage is...the meaning of marriage is the display of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his people" (p. 15). Ironically, the two best chapters in Piper's book are on singleness and the necessary hospitality within the body of Christ to those who don't fit the mould of monogomous marriage. Piper's chapter on "Faith and Sex in Marriage" is unsurprisingly theological and yet unexpectedly practical. Piper's last two chapters deal with the matter of divorce and remarriage. In keeping with his theology of the permanence of the picture of the gospel inherent in marriage, Piper holds to a no-divorce, no-remarriage and if divorced, no re-marriage position. Piper admits that he affirms a minority position on this point; nonetheless, his arguments are strong, well-stated, and worth considering.
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