When Two Become One: Enhancing Sexual Intimacy in Marriage by Christopher and Rachel McCluskey

Takeaway: Sex is too important to ignore and too important to just read about.  We need more mentors for couples.

Purchase Links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition

My wife and I have been leading a small group for newly married couples for the past seven months.  We are just finishing up 8 weeks of discussion on sex in marriage.

I have read through several books on sex and marriage recently and this is one of the better ones I have read.  That is not to say it is perfect.  I still have yet to find a book that I can strongly recommend on the topic of sex in marriage.

There are several things I like about this book.  One, it has a clinical background.  So there are lots of stories of people seeking help.  And I think that saying that it is OK to seek out help is very important.  Second, there are many Christian books that do not really get into the actual activity of sex.  This book does in an appropriate way.  There are five chapters on the stages of sex (atmosphere, arousal, apex and afterglow).  These five chapters were the meat of the book and what we focused on in our small group.

I do appreciate the attempt at a big picture of what Christian sexuality is all about at the beginning of the book, but I think the book missed it.  Partially the problem is addressing a diverse audience.  You are going to offend or turn off someone no matter what you say, so I think it is hard to address sexuality in modern Evangelical world.  Honestly, I thought Washed and Waiting (an perspective on celibate homosexuality within the church) did a better job talking about the big picture of sexuality.

This was not a bad book, and I think it will be very helpful for many couples.  I just am still looking for more.