Just in time for Valentine’s Day another book about love: Loveology: God. Love. Marriage. Sex. And the never-ending story of male and female by Portland (Oregon) pastor John Mark Comer. It’s a theology of love written “… for singles, engaged couples, and the newly married who want to learn what the Scriptures have to say about sexuality and relationships” –from the back of my hardcover copy.

The book addresses the gamut. It begins with the creation of the first couple. It talks about four purposes of marriage. It explains why sex is tov (good) at least if it follows the Song of Solomon pattern. It explores romance, the obstacle course of dating, the differences between male and female, how to enjoy the state of singleness, and the biblical attitude toward homosexuality. The book ends with a hefty Q&A section of real-life questions encountered when the author presented the book’s content as an event.

Comer’s writing style is savvy and casual with enough vernacular to give the sense that he knows the demographic he’s addressing. As a work of theology it’s easy to read. Comer has the instincts of a good teacher and presents his ideas logically and in an order that makes sense. His use of Hebrew and Greek word studies along with illustrations from the lives of Bible characters helps him get to the nub of what the Bible teaches

I like the way he examines 21st century ideas and assumptions about love, courtship and marriage, contrasting how the culture of Bible times differed from ours. He goes into the history of some of our customs showing how practices like dating and choosing one’s own marriage partner are recent with a dubious track record for creating long-lasting marriages (though he doesn't advocate arranged marriages). While he does trip all over himself in trying not to give offense on socially tricky topics like men taking the leadership role in marriage and a Christian stance toward homosexuality, he does end up sticking with the orthodox biblical position (despite its current unpopularity amongst the general population).

My one objection to the book is its physical design (I read the hardcover edition). The beginning page of each section is hot pink with white print. Talk about hard to read in any but bright daylight! I found myself dreading another pink page—a distraction from the book’s message for sure. As well, the footnote numbers are in hot pink, making them almost invisible. Also, long quotes from the Bible (Genesis 2:15-25 and Proverbs 8) serve as front and back bookends for the body of the book. These are in huge font (pink on white) with no spacing for verses or paragraphs. Again my eyes say NO!

Other than those design quibbles Loveology is an excellent book for anyone who wants to understand what the Bible teaches about love, marriage, courtship, sex, and singleness. For a generation of Christian youth bombarded by messages and images saturated with sex, it’s a timely and needed book. It would make a great study for youth groups and an appropriate addition to the reading list of premarital counselors and counselees.

I received Loveology as a gift from the publisher (Zondervan) for the purpose of writing a review.
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