Then Comes Marriage?: A Cultural History of the American Family
Rebecca Price Janney
Moody Publishers, 2010, 259 pp., $14.99, MoodyPublishers.com
Fairy tales and nostalgia no longer shape the typical American family. Then what is the typical American family? What shapes it and why? These are the questions theologian and historian Janney explores through research, insight and wit in Then Comes Marriage?
A journey through pop culture, perspectives and practices from the time of the colonies to the present gives a wide-angle view on the source and current state of the American family. Parts of the story will make readers cringe; others will impart hope. Culture warriors and feminists will respond differently to the history and changes Janney surveys, but with the varied reactions to this comprehensive look at marriage, one thing is certain: It is the state of the union.
