The Passion Principles: Celebrating Sexual Freedom in Marriage

by Shannon Ethridge

Move beyond the mechanics of sex to a rich and rewardingconnection! God’s desire is for couples to enjoy vibrant sexualrelationships without inhibition, awkwardness, fear, resentment, guilt, orshame. With honesty and frankness, life coach and best-selling author ShannonEthridge opens the minds of both husbands and wives to embrace a lifestyle of passionand pleasure. Divided into four sections, The Passion Principles helps couples celebrate the spiritual,mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of sexuality. Questions include: Some chapters end with questions for personalcontemplation or for couples to use as conversation starters, and otherchapters end with prayers that foster a deeper spiritual and emotionalconnection, making this book a perfect guide to a more passionate love life.

Genres: Marriage, Relationships, Nonfiction, Christian

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2014

About the author

Shannon is a million-copy best-selling author, speaker, lay counselor, and advocate for healthy sexuality with a master’s degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University. She has spoken to youth, college students, and adults since 1989 and her passions include:

* Challenging adults and teens to embrace a life of sexual integrity
* Encouraging married couples in their pursuit of sexual fulfillment
* Counseling women who have looked for love in all the wrong places
* Equipping parents to instill sexual values in children at an early age

Her passion for healthy sexuality was ignited as a result of her own painful experiences. After being sexually abused by uncles during puberty and surviving many painful years as a promiscuous teenager, Shannon sought to overcome her past and become the faithful wife she desperately wanted to be. Six months of individual and group counseling gave Shannon the confidence to declare her graduation from the school of hard knocks, and she began speaking boldly and bluntly about the benefits of sexual integrity and sexual intimacy within marriage. She has since taught and counseled thousands of teens, single adults, and married couples over the past decade. Shannon is the Gold-Medallion Award-winning author of 18 books, including the best-selling Every Woman’s Battle series (WaterBrook Press, 2003-2006) which has been printed in 11 different languages, the 5-book Loving Jesus Without Limits series (WaterBrook Press, 2007), and her new book for the mainstream market, The Sexually Confident Wife (Random House, September 2008).

Shannon has been featured on the cover of Today’s Christian Woman Magazine and is a frequent guest on such national radio & television shows as Focus on the Family, The 700 Club, Life Today with James & Betty Robison, FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey, and New Life Live! with Stephen Arterburn. She has also been published in magazines such as Focus on the Family, Brio, Christian Single, Discipleship Journal, LifeWay, and Enrichment Journal.

Reviews

[Chickadee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could be a good resource for couples who are looking to strengthen their bonds of marriage and improve their sexual relationship. The book is straight forward and doesn't shy away from the "hot" topics. Just about everything you can think of is covered in this book, right down to practical tips for both husbands and wives.

The book is written for married couples, and stresses the importance of sexual freedom WITHIN the bonds of marriage. Shannon breaks it down into bare bones, straight forward, no nonsense information. It is highly unlikely that you will have to wonder what she is talking about, during any chapter in this book.

I didn't agree with everything presented in the book, but the author states in the beginning that some parts will be controversial. She admits that at some point, she will probably offend readers but that is not her motivation.

I didn't find myself offended exactly, but concerned that some of the information presented in this book could cause more issues in a marriage, rather than help. I would never use this book in marriage counseling, or suggest it for a couple who is having serious dysfunctional issues with their sex life.

Overall, this is an "eat the hay, spit out the sticks" kind of book - take what you can learn from it and leave the parts you disagree with. The main point of the book, according to the author is helping couples find a healthy sexual balance in their marriage.

I would suggest reading it for yourself, however it is not something I would go out of my way to recommend.

If you REALLY want to improve your marriage at all levels, I would strongly suggest that you check out Marriage Today with Jimmy and Karen Evans. I would recommend any of their books, dvds, etc. without hesitation.

[Ida Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this with my husband. The German translation was terrible so I am not sure if the book itself is just cringe worthy like 89% of the time or the translation made it worse but...we did not enjoy this book. The idea is great, because we agree with the author that sex is usually a hush-hush topic christian couples don't really talk about, but this book might not be the best way to show the world that we aren't as stuck up and helpless as it might seem. A lot of the tips in certain chapters just made us laugh uncomfortably.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Shannon a 5 for her willingness to write about topics that most folks choose to ignore. I appreciate this. What I did not appreciate were the somewhat adolescent word choices. (e.g. horny) and some of the complementarian beliefs (e.g. if a wife keeps her husband satisfied, he will not have an affair or use porn. It's HIS job to be sober!! Not the wife's!). The also was not crazy about the format: 40 short chapters that are more like blog posts. Totally worth picking up though.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly one of the best Christian books I've ever read, I cannot recommend this book enough! Any Christian, married or soon to be married, should read this. This is going to be something we might reread throughout our marriage. Shannon does a great job at being truthful, factual, and brutally honest even when it might feel uncomfortable, but in oh so many good ways!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

[Eric]

I couldn't get past the first chapter. The author talks like a pastor, or she thinks she is one.

[Ylva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some very weird metaphors and way too much information about the author's personal life and preferences.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Passion Principle: Celebrating Sexual Freedom in Marriage
Shannon Ethridge

Book Summary: Move beyond the mechanics of sex to a rich and rewarding connection!
God’s desire is for couples to enjoy vibrant sexual relationships without inhibition, awkwardness, fear, resentment, guilt, or shame. With honesty and frankness, life coach and best-selling author Shannon Ethridge opens the minds of both husbands and wives to embrace a lifestyle of passion and pleasure. Divided into four sections, The Passion Principles helps couples celebrate the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of sexuality. Questions include:
• What was God thinking when He created sex?
• Why do humans think about sex so much?
• Will there be sex in heaven?
• How did we get such different ideas about sex and love?
• How can I get past his or her sexual past?
• How can I help my spouse heal from the sexual abuses he or she suffered?
• What if my heart is telling me I married the wrong person?
• How can we balance mismatched sex drives?
Some chapters end with questions for personal contemplation or for couples to use as conversation starters, and other chapters end with prayers that foster a deeper spiritual and emotional connection, making this book a perfect guide to a more passionate love life.

Book Review: It was an interesting read. Good things about the book: it was an honest, straight forwards information about marital relations. There were numerous topics addressed and information about them in detail provided. She provides great comfort to many people who are seeking information and no one to turn to. When young people with or without experience sincerely seek information this book can provide them a place to turn. She is faithful to sex being between married couples. Her responses are direct and do hold to the sanctity of marriage. She is respectful to her husband and men as head of their households. Things I disagreed with: At times the Bible is not consulted. This began with due to Ms. Ethridge’s declaring that the Bible is silent on marital sex. I agree the mechanics are not touched. I hate to say this but sex is not the glue that holds a marriage together. In this sex drenched society it is easy to miss that sex is not everything. Love is a choice. To disregard what the Bible says about marriage is the heart of the problem. When a topic is ‘What if my heart is telling me that I married the wrong person?’ - regardless of the answer is trouble. This exposes the heart of how people think about marriage. It is not a commitment for the long haul, it is a consumer demand of what I want.
While Ms. Ethridge does not negate that marriage is important. She has great love for her husband. Freedom to enjoy sex seems to be the overarching theme. Generally not a problem yet if this is all that one pursues eventually you will feel let down. I am glad that Ms. Ethridge and her husband have a giving relationship. That is what should have been discussed because that is the basis for her freedom.
I would like to thank BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

[Stacy Palm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I have two growing teens in my home, and I want them to have a healthy prospective of being intimate with their spouse when they are older yet the good judgement to abstain until that committed relationship has been formed. Wow, That puts us parents in a tough spot! You don't want to say, "Don't do it because it's bad." Yet, that is what so often leaves our mouths. Without getting to personal, my husband and I have a very solid relationship when it comes to being intimate. I'm very thankful for it and I honestly believe it is all due to good communication. So again, I picked this book up with the above in my mind.

I'm not one for what I consider "self-help" books, but I do love books that help me become a stronger spiritual person and that help me become the the truest person I can be. I have to say that this was a very well written book and provided much insight. I did not agree 100% with everything, but there was a lot of useful and truthful information in it. I was also astounded to find there were some new discussion points for myself and my husband. I enjoyed the "ponder the principle" points at the end of the chapters and each prayer that accompanied them. This book did provide some good discussion points on how to talk to my kids so they have healthy intimate relationships with spouses in the future. It also provided insight to children who have been abused, and since I work with foster children that sadly many are abused sexually, this added an additional layer of insight I did not expect to find when I first choose this book. I would recommend this book to couples seeking how to be more intimate while following the passages of the Bible, and to parents looking to provide their teens with the tools to be happy, healthy, and successful partners later in their life.

[Stacie Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received The Passion Principles: Celebrating Sexual Freedom in Marriage in exchange for honest review from Book Look Bloggers (formerly Blogging for Books). I received a paperback copy of the book. The book was written by Sharon Ethridge. I have read one of her other books before, The Fantasy Fallacy, which discusses how fantasies may cause unwanted expectations in relationships.


When I reviewed Etheridge's other book, I was celibate for two years. Currently, I been celibate for four years. I have read books about purity and celibacy, but this is one of the first books, I have read about sex and marriage.

The book is Christian and written from a marriage point of view. The book teaches how to experience sexual freedom in marriage

The book is spiritual, enlightening, and in some cases funny. Etheridge said if any passages in the book offends you, get a sharpie and cross them out, but keep reading the book. :-) The book also has questions for reflection, such as "What kind of sex-negative messages have you received in life?) (p. 10). Read the book to find out more :-)

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! It was like a breath of fresh air reading Shannon’s latest books, The Passion Principles: A Celebration of Sexual Freedom in Marriage. I cannot express how much I loved The Passion Principles! Not only did she hit all of the hot and vital topics, she dove deep into scripture and God’s amazing plan for sex in marriage. There is great freedom and blessings for sex in marriage and sadly many of us have a skewed view. Thank you Shannon for finally writing a book that is full of grace, freedom and encouragement that matches with God’s plan for sex in marriage! Bravo and thank you for speaking truth and light into this darkness. The enemy wants to keep sex and intimacy in marriage in the dark so their continues to be disillusionment. I am thankful there are people like you willing to bring God light to it! Thank you, thank you!

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for all married couples! Don’t let the subject matter scare you away. This book is well written, easy to follow, informative and has a Christian point of view. I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked how the book was laid out, very organized. I also liked that the author made the subject matter factual yet with a loving attitude. I would recommend this book for all couples, maybe a Sunday School class or even a Bible study book to read through.

I would like to thank the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

[Courtney]

Another great Shannon Ethridge book! She answers some frequently asked questions in this book and has great information. i recommend for married couples, engaged couples, and Chrisitans who are single. This book is great for any age. She is a wonderful author and really challenges some of the older (erroneous) pre-conceived notions about sex in a Christian marriage.

[Josh Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on sex for married couples. A breath of fresh air in the current smog of sexual pollution. Good, honest and practical content makes this book a must read for couples wanting to experience all that God intends in a healthy biblical sexual relationship. Highly recommend.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off boring but gets better part way through. Overall not bad but some of the author's other titles are better.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads. Very interesting look into relationships and sexuality. Easy to read and understand concepts. Lots to learn about yourself and your partner.