Donald and Robbie Joy were young, naïve, happy and very much n love when they married. And soon after the wedding, they settle comfortably into the traditional husband/wife roles which had been instilled in them since childhood. Don accepted full responsibility for supporting and protecting his family as a sort of "benevolent monarch," and Robbie was content to raise children, keep the household in order, and leave all the decisions to her husband as a submissive wife. This "hierarchical" arrangement of marriage had been passed down through parents, teaches, preachers, and literature for generations.
This challenging book is a blend of probing theology, biological research, and warm and human anecdotes from the Joys' own relationship. They open describe their sometimes painful pilgrimage from the traditional marriage model to a relationship as equals. They also study respectfully the "headship" and "silence" passage in the New Testament, inviting their readers o a view of marriage which ennobles both partners, unites them in mutual respect, and celebrates their God-given differences.