This is not a marriage handbook, but rather an explanation of the nature of Christian marriage at a time when it seems under severe threat. It begins with the Old Testament, where women can be treated as objects and marriage can be seen as no more than a commercial contract. Then it traces the course of a growing awareness of love and personal relationships often subject to severe setbacks, which can be seen through the prophets, the ministry of Jesus and the church. The changes in understanding brought about by this history will underlie any modern view of the marriage, and the book ends by sketching out some of the features that view will include.