Sex, God & Marriage
by
Johann Christoph Arnold

Please share this e-book with your friends. Feel free to e-mail
it or print it in its entirety or in part, but please do not alter it in any
way. If you wish to make multiple copies for wider distribution, or
to reprint portions in a newsletter or periodical, please observe the
following restrictions:
You may not reproduce it for commercial gain.
You must include this credit line: "Copyright 2007 by
Plough Publishing House. Used with permission."
This e-book is a publication of Plough Publishing House,
Farmington, PA 15437 USA (www.plough.com) and Robertsbridge,
East Sussex, TN32 5DR, UK (www.ploughbooks.co.uk)
Copyright © 2007 by Plough Publishing House
Farmington, PA 15437 USA
All Rights Reserved
•
•
Preface

Five years ago we published the first edition of Sex, God,
and Marriage. Since then readers have responded to it as to
no other Plough title. It seems the book has touched a tender
nerve. Some find its message out of sync with "reality."
Others say it unsettles them more than they would like to
admit. The vast majority have written to say how grateful
they are for the clear yet compassionate guidance it offers.
If the past is any indication, Sex, God, and Marriage will
continue to prompt many more responses and spark new
discussion. Granted, it is a book whose message few in our
present age care to hear. But for those who listen, it holds a
promise. A reader recently wrote to us to say, "All my past
relationships failed because they were built on sex, not God.
Sex, God, and Marriage has given me insight into how a true
relationship and marriage should be." May it do the same for
many more.
The Editors

April 2002
To my faithful wife, Verena,
without whose help this book would not have been possible.

Foreword

In Sex, God, and Marriage we find a message needed today in
every part of the world. To be pure, to remain pure, can only
come at a price, the price of knowing God and of loving him
enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we
need to keep purity as something beautiful for God. Purity is
the fruit of prayer. If families pray together they will remain
in unity and purity, and love each other as God loves each
one of them. A pure heart is the carrier of God's love, and
where there is love, there is unity, joy, and peace.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
November 1995

Sex, God & Marriage Foreword
A Call to Purity

At a time when the Bruderhof often finds itself in the minority
on issues of marriage and sexuality, we have been encouraged
by the conviction and concern that many Catholics share
with us in these crucial matters. (Many dioceses use our
book Sex, God and Marriage in religious education classes,
for example.) The document below came out of discussions
that took place over several years with leaders in our local
archdiocese.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and
the Bruderhof believe that Go...

Show full text: 274,569 characters