Mark Driscoll Answers the 'Can We Do That?' Questions in Upcoming Book
Willing to go where most pastors don’t, controversial pastor Mark Driscoll is “set to once again send shock waves throughout the evangelical world” with his upcoming book on marriage, Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together.
In the book, which is co-authored by his wife, Grace, the Mars Hill pastor seeks to tackle the ins and outs of holy matrimony, a topic he frequently revisits.
Already garnering much buzz in Christian publishing circles months before its debut, the book vows to be “one of the most talked-about Christian marriage releases in years,” according to a statement.
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Discussing everything from finances to sex, the Seattle megachurch preacher is hoping to address marriage in a way he knows best – honestly and openly.
“I believe people desperately need what this book delivers – candid, real-world, biblical teaching about marriage, sex and the realities of creating a life together,” Brian Hampton, senior vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson, said in a statement.
“Mark and Grace don’t pull punches or gloss over difficult issues... and that’s what’s going to make this book unlike any that’s come before it,” Hampton said.
Married for more than 15 years, the couple learned what true holy matrimony should look like through their own trials, and desired to share their experiences with other couples.
“While the book spends significant space exploring Scripture, statistics, culture, friendship in marriage and sharing highly-personal details about their own pasts and marriages, what’s sure to get the most attention are the chapters on submission, biblical sexuality, masturbation, pornography and the ‘Can we do that?’ sex questions most couples, Driscoll says, are too embarrassed to ask their pastor,” according to publishers at Thomas Nelson.
The 40-year-old founder of The Resurgence and other networks, like Acts 29, is known to “tell it straight,” without sugarcoating the truth. He has often been the center of much public debate and taken heat for his views.
During his previous 10-week sermon series, called “The Peasant Princess,” Driscoll spoke to his congregation about “hot, hetero, covenantal monogamy,” through a study of the Song of Songs, addressing the too-often taboo subject of sex in marriage.
Those sermons led to a “Christian Sex: Frank Answers to Honest Questions” blog series, which discussed things like wet dreams, pornography, masturbation and the use of sex toys.
“Looking for ways to please your spouse is wonderful. It’s biblical. It builds intimacy, love, joy, trust and pleasure. Furthermore, it helps to safeguard and protect a marriage from temptation,” he said during one of his sermons.
When evangelical leader Ted Haggard was accused of hiring a male prostitute, “At the risk of being even more widely despised," he said, Driscoll responded “A wife who lets herself go and is not sexually available to her husband in the ways that the Song of Songs is so frank about is not responsible for her husband’s sin, but she may not be helping him either.”
Raw and uncut in his approach, Driscoll and his wife are ready to continue to use their experiences to dispel popular misconceptions about marriage, presenting biblical truth and wisdom in their upcoming book.
Additionally, the “Real Marriage” church campaign will be launched on Jan. 3, 2012, with an 11-week sermon series by Driscoll, a 10-city tour, and a major mobilization of the 500-church strong Acts 29 Network.
Resources will be provided, including small-group video curriculums, participant guides and promotional videos.
Free additional research will be available for ministry leaders, including sermon preparation at PastorMark.tv, his recently launched website highlighting Driscoll’s observations on theology and culture.
“Marriage is a wonderful gift, but it takes work, growth in Christ and patience to love the other more than ourselves,” the tour site said. “Single individuals will be ahead of the curve after hearing these truths that will transform their dating life and shape their future marriage.
Topics discussed in the book include “Pornography and sexual sin inside and outside of marriage,” “Submission and respect,” “Honoring your spouse emotionally, technologically, and financially,” “What the Bible says about masturbation and oral sex,” “The ‘Can we do that?’ questions you’re too embarrassed to ask your pastor” and “How to deal with intimacy issues and create the joyful and fun sex life God intended you to have.”
A full list of tour locations can be found at here.
Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together will be released on Jan. 3, 2012.
Pastor Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and is one of the world’s most downloaded and quoted pastors, according to The Resurgence.
He was named one of the “25 Most Influential Pastors of the Past 25 Years” by Preaching magazine, and his sermons are consistently No. 1 on iTunes each week for Religion & Spirituality.
