By: Elizabeth Glasby
Marriage today can feel complicated and uncertain, with countless opinions about what makes a union successful.
Yet, Christian faith offers more than just a beautiful Church wedding service—it offers practical wisdom and guidance for building a strong, covenantal marriage.
Anglican minister and pastoral counsellor Dr Ralph Bowles speaks about his recent book Marriage, The Christian Way (2025).
“There’s an awful lot of confusion now and diversity about different ideas about what marriage is about,” Dr Bowles said.
“This book is really me putting together the material and the thinking of my teaching ministry as well as my pastoral counselling ministry”.
Dr Bowles’s book draws on decades of pastoral experience and uses biblical principles and Anglican marriage traditions from the past and present.
Consisting of 31 brief chapters that explore a range of topics such as honouring God, purpose of marriage, spousal roles, partner intimacy, resolving conflict, forgiveness, divorce and much more.
“There’s a secret in marriage” Dr Bowles said.
“That it’s a sort of allegory or a picture of the Christian life, of our relationship to God… That would be the main golden thread of the book.”
According to Dr Ralph Bowles, a healthy marriage reveals values of the Christian faith, making this book a guide for couples and followers of Christ seeking to build a lifelong union in accordance with God’s design.
“I wrote it primarily for engaged couples who are serious about their faith and are motivated and interested to know what their faith has to say about being married… But more generally, all married people who are Christians.”
“And for other people who are outside the faith who are getting married and may be curious to know what the Christian faith has to offer for marriage.”
The book additionally addresses the confusion surrounding modern views of marriage.
“Marriage has been changing radically.” Dr Bowles said.
“I thought it was good to make the case for what you might call the traditional view of marriage, which has its roots, of course, in the Bible and the Christian faith.
Marriage, The Christian Way is available now.
Article supplied with thanks to 96five.
Feature image: Canva
