Two Become One: An Orthodox Christian Guide to Engagement and Marriage

This is a fantastic resource for those married or those looking to get married. The chapters around how to choose a partner and what things to look for were particularly invaluable and very helpful.Also liked seeing Orthodox understandings of contemporary issues.

As a wedding planner and a married Christian woman of thirty six years, “Two Become One” was an absolute joy to read. Whether you are looking for a life partner, newly engaged, newly married, or married for some time, you will find practical and loving advice within these pages.I am in a long term marriage and found the advice for married couples to be enlightening. I recognized many of the patterns and solutions to the situations the authors presented. I also realized some wonderful insights myself! There is very good advice here for communication, understanding, and problem solving within the marriage. Love of God, reflection upon Him, and scripture are also sprinkled throughout the book as a reminder of the true meaning of the union we have entered into.I think the information for selecting a life partner and the process of engagement, is invaluable. This book would make a wonderful gift to a newly engaged or married couple. Churches and priests would do well to present this book to all couples who come in for premarital counseling. They could also use the book as a basis for that counseling.A wonderful read, beautifully written, and easy to understand, I feel this will become one of the most popular books in the Ancient Faith publishing world.

For a singleton wanting a serious relationship without children, this book doesn't really help. There is definitely too much emphasis on the need to have children, and doesn't take into consideration that there are people out there deeply burdened by the idea of having children such as myself.I understand that I am part of the minority of people out there who hate the prospect of having kids, but at the same time it would be a fresh breath of air to have an Orthodox opinion about marriage that gives both the husband and wife the freedom to decide how they want to live their lives without following worldly ideals!!! Just because I am in the minority it does not mean that I should be ignored, ridiculed or forced to change my mind just because this is the way I think and choose to live my life!

A brilliant book by an Orthodox priest in Australia that gives really excellent and practical advice through the engagement period and ways of sustaining a healthy and happy marriage. I particularly liked its breakdown and very practical philosophy on the engagement period, making what is often a very confusing and challenging time something far more clear and concise. It also deals with sensitive topics such as domestic abuse.All in all, I think this is a must read for every Orthodox person getting to the age of considering marriage, and every Orthodox couple!