So, for someone whose introduction said they'd be lurking and listening more than being heard, here's my second Book Review post in 24 hours.
Understanding Biblical Marriage
by Titus Strahl
With a scant 63 pages (and I really wish he'd added page numbers himself so I didn't have to count them by hand to know that), Titus Strahl's little pamphlet isn't exactly an end-all compendium. However, what it lacks in volume it makes up for in willingness to get straight to the heart of the matter with none of what I call "Biblical Stammering" (abbreviated BS). It starts with the same basic stance that most pro-polygyny books do; pointing out the fact that there is not a single condemnation of polygyny found within the Bible. The author even trolls the reader by quoting "Hezekiah 3:16 ... Thous shalt not have more than one wife" multiple times before finally, on the very final page, saying "there is no Hezekiah 3:16, you can stop looking."
What the book (or pamphlet) sets out to do is to answer some of the prickly questions that plague students of Biblical theology, and he answers every one of them not only by quoting the original Biblical text in its original language, but by going one step further. Each time the author challenges an interpretation or translation, he goes on to cite other examples within the Bible where the same word he is pointing to is translated the same way, rather than the way contemporary English translators have used. This enables him to cut through a lot of the verses many pastors (even Patriarchal Polygynous pastors) are wishy-washy about.
For example...
No, 1 Timothy 3:2 does not prevent a Church Leader from having multiple wives. It merely prevents single men from being Church Leaders (p. 48 - 58).
Yes, a man does have a Scripture-sealed obligation to marry every woman whose virginity he has ever taken (p. 7 & 42 - 45)
No, a divorced woman is not at liberty to remarry unless her first husband is dead, even if he was the one who divorced her (p, 18 - 27).
There are other examples, but I don't want to give too many spoilers.
While the book is meticulously researched (and the author's oft-demonstrated linguistic skill comes into play early and often), its biggest shortcoming is that it tends to take a "once is enough" approach when making any point other than correcting common English mistranslations. When a book tackles a subject as controversial as polygyny, it would seem prudent to support one's point with repeated examples to alleviate a reader's fears of "what if that's just out of context?" In the end, I'd say I give it the same verdict as J. A. Farmer's book that I reviewed elsewhere: a great tool for those of us who have already acknowledged that the Bible allows a man to exercise Headship over multiple women (both books do provide solid Biblical reinforcement and sound answers to common questions polygynists have to answer), but not an approachable gateway to the subject for the uninitiated. I guess the best way to say it is "give this to the potential second-wife you're courting who still has some worries and hesitations about the Biblical legitimacy of it, not to someone in Mainstream Churchianity who hasn't already gotten their feet wet."
Understanding Biblical Marriage
by Titus Strahl
With a scant 63 pages (and I really wish he'd added page numbers himself so I didn't have to count them by hand to know that), Titus Strahl's little pamphlet isn't exactly an end-all compendium. However, what it lacks in volume it makes up for in willingness to get straight to the heart of the matter with none of what I call "Biblical Stammering" (abbreviated BS). It starts with the same basic stance that most pro-polygyny books do; pointing out the fact that there is not a single condemnation of polygyny found within the Bible. The author even trolls the reader by quoting "Hezekiah 3:16 ... Thous shalt not have more than one wife" multiple times before finally, on the very final page, saying "there is no Hezekiah 3:16, you can stop looking."
What the book (or pamphlet) sets out to do is to answer some of the prickly questions that plague students of Biblical theology, and he answers every one of them not only by quoting the original Biblical text in its original language, but by going one step further. Each time the author challenges an interpretation or translation, he goes on to cite other examples within the Bible where the same word he is pointing to is translated the same way, rather than the way contemporary English translators have used. This enables him to cut through a lot of the verses many pastors (even Patriarchal Polygynous pastors) are wishy-washy about.
For example...
No, 1 Timothy 3:2 does not prevent a Church Leader from having multiple wives. It merely prevents single men from being Church Leaders (p. 48 - 58).
Yes, a man does have a Scripture-sealed obligation to marry every woman whose virginity he has ever taken (p. 7 & 42 - 45)
No, a divorced woman is not at liberty to remarry unless her first husband is dead, even if he was the one who divorced her (p, 18 - 27).
There are other examples, but I don't want to give too many spoilers.
While the book is meticulously researched (and the author's oft-demonstrated linguistic skill comes into play early and often), its biggest shortcoming is that it tends to take a "once is enough" approach when making any point other than correcting common English mistranslations. When a book tackles a subject as controversial as polygyny, it would seem prudent to support one's point with repeated examples to alleviate a reader's fears of "what if that's just out of context?" In the end, I'd say I give it the same verdict as J. A. Farmer's book that I reviewed elsewhere: a great tool for those of us who have already acknowledged that the Bible allows a man to exercise Headship over multiple women (both books do provide solid Biblical reinforcement and sound answers to common questions polygynists have to answer), but not an approachable gateway to the subject for the uninitiated. I guess the best way to say it is "give this to the potential second-wife you're courting who still has some worries and hesitations about the Biblical legitimacy of it, not to someone in Mainstream Churchianity who hasn't already gotten their feet wet."
