What do you think?
Rate this book
Enduring Love: Laying Christian Foundations for Marriage
Patristic Nectar Publications is pleased to present this new pre-marital counseling theological workbook entitled Enduring Laying Christian Foundations for Marriage. Marriage preparation, together with the sacred institution of marriage itself, has fallen on hard times in the culture of the post-Christian West. It is more important than ever for couples to saturate their hearts and minds with the glorious vision of holy matrimony presented by the Church in Holy Tradition and lived by countless married saints for the last two thousand years. Here in the pages of Enduring Love couples will find inspired teaching from the Holy Scriptures, the writings of the Holy Fathers, and the service texts of the sacrament itself, on how to live in a genuinely Christian marriage in which the home becomes a domestic church. Each of the ten chapters contains both a succinct theological teaching and a workbook section with questions for the couple to work through together in preparation for marriage. Through Enduring Love may God inspire the hearts of those preparing to be married, and also those already married who would like to deepen their union and render it more pleasing to God and to themselves
- GenresReligion
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2024
22 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Josiah Trenham
5 books42 followersArchpriest Josiah Trenham, Ph.D., is a native Southern Californian. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1993, and was awarded the Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Durham, England, in 2004. He has served as pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, Ca. since 1998.
Father Josiah is the founder and director of Patristic Nectar Publications, a company dedicated to “nourishing the spiritually thirsty with the sweet teachings of the Holy Fathers” in quality audio recordings. PNP produces both recordings of patristic works as well as recordings of lectures and homilies available in direct download formats. Father Josiah’s weekly homilies and additional theological reflections are published weekly and listened to by thousands all over the globe on The Arena podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
Father serves as an instructor in and on the Board of Advisors of the Ss. Cyril and Athanasius Orthodox Institute in San Francisco. He is an adjunct professor of theology at St. Katherine College in Encinitas, Ca. (2010-present), and was an Adjunct Professor of History at California Baptist University (2003-2010). He is a member of the Orthodox Theological Society of America, and participates in yearly academic forums and symposia. Since 2004 he has served on the Mayoral Environmental Committee (GAP) of the City of Riverside. Father Josiah has also served as a member of the Secretariat of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in the United States since its inception in May, 2010. Father Josiah was married in 1988, and has ten children.
Father Josiah’s books and articles have been published by St. Herman Press, New Rome Press, Zoe Press, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Journal, Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, The Journal of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, CIVA: The Journal of Christians in the Visual Arts, Divine Ascent, The Word Magazine, OrthodoxyToday.org, American Orthodox Institute, Sourozh, Pemptousia.com (Vatopaidi Monastery), Eastern Churches Review, and more.
Father Josiah has been interviewed by Fox News, Voice of Russia Radio (VR), Russian Television (RT), Ancient Faith Radio, Culture Shocks: The Radio Show of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and numerous local news outlets: ABC, NBC, KTLA, 590 AM talk radio, and more.
Father Josiah has conducted interviews for his own podcast with numerous religious leaders of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Oxford, England, Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church, San Diego, and Prof. Wesley Hill of Trinity Seminary, PA.
Father Josiah has conducted numerous diocesan, parish, and clergy retreats and seminars for every Orthodox Christian jurisdiction in America and in Canada. He has also spoken at numerous colleges and universities including Westmont College, St. Katherine College, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, St. Paul University, California Baptist University, San Jacinto Community College, and more.
Father Josiah is the founder and director of Patristic Nectar Publications, a company dedicated to “nourishing the spiritually thirsty with the sweet teachings of the Holy Fathers” in quality audio recordings. PNP produces both recordings of patristic works as well as recordings of lectures and homilies available in direct download formats. Father Josiah’s weekly homilies and additional theological reflections are published weekly and listened to by thousands all over the globe on The Arena podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.
Father serves as an instructor in and on the Board of Advisors of the Ss. Cyril and Athanasius Orthodox Institute in San Francisco. He is an adjunct professor of theology at St. Katherine College in Encinitas, Ca. (2010-present), and was an Adjunct Professor of History at California Baptist University (2003-2010). He is a member of the Orthodox Theological Society of America, and participates in yearly academic forums and symposia. Since 2004 he has served on the Mayoral Environmental Committee (GAP) of the City of Riverside. Father Josiah has also served as a member of the Secretariat of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in the United States since its inception in May, 2010. Father Josiah was married in 1988, and has ten children.
Father Josiah’s books and articles have been published by St. Herman Press, New Rome Press, Zoe Press, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Journal, Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, The Journal of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, CIVA: The Journal of Christians in the Visual Arts, Divine Ascent, The Word Magazine, OrthodoxyToday.org, American Orthodox Institute, Sourozh, Pemptousia.com (Vatopaidi Monastery), Eastern Churches Review, and more.
Father Josiah has been interviewed by Fox News, Voice of Russia Radio (VR), Russian Television (RT), Ancient Faith Radio, Culture Shocks: The Radio Show of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and numerous local news outlets: ABC, NBC, KTLA, 590 AM talk radio, and more.
Father Josiah has conducted interviews for his own podcast with numerous religious leaders of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Oxford, England, Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church, San Diego, and Prof. Wesley Hill of Trinity Seminary, PA.
Father Josiah has conducted numerous diocesan, parish, and clergy retreats and seminars for every Orthodox Christian jurisdiction in America and in Canada. He has also spoken at numerous colleges and universities including Westmont College, St. Katherine College, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, St. Paul University, California Baptist University, San Jacinto Community College, and more.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 18, 2024
This is a wonderful book for Orthodox couples that are getting married, or even if you're already married. The author doesn't hold back and asks very deep questions that aren't easy to answer and reminds us of the meaning of marriage.
March 23, 2025
Excellent book for Marriage for those preparing for marriage. Goes through all essential categories and topics needed for something like this. It really leaves you stressing how important marriage is. Marriage is a sacrament and a way for a person to work out their salvation. It should be treated as the upmost important thing. This is honestly a necessity to read for those preparing for marriage. Marriage in the Orthodox Church has such a greater importance and value than what it is in the secular/ Protestant west. This book definitely helps, and provides for necessary conversations and topics. Overall essential for any Christian pursuing marriage.
February 20, 2025
Encouraging overview of what marriage should look like for Orthodox couples. Probably best for pre-marital counseling.
August 23, 2025
More Than a Contract: A Crucible for Sanctification
In an age of therapeutic platitudes and contractual views of matrimony, Father Josiah Trenham’s Enduring Love: Laying Christian Foundations for Marriage is a bracing and unapologetic corrective. Structured as a ten-chapter workbook for pre-marital counseling, the text seeks not to innovate but to reclaim, drawing deeply from the wells of Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers to present marriage not as a vehicle for self-fulfillment, but as a crucible for sanctification. Trenham’s project is to restore a "glorious vision" of marriage as the bedrock of civilization, a task for which he is well-suited and which he executes with conviction.
The book’s primary strength lies in its foundational premise: that marriage is an objective reality with a divinely instituted nature and purpose. Trenham rightly diagnoses the chaos of modern relationships as a direct consequence of abandoning this truth. Where culture sees a partnership based on shifting feelings and mutual convenience, this book presents a permanent, covenantal union ordered toward the salvation of the spouses, the procreation and raising of children, and the establishment of the “domestic church.” This clear-eyed view of marriage as an institution with non-negotiable ends is a welcome anchor in a sea of relativism.
The structure of the book, addressing fundamentals such as communication, finances, and spiritual life, is practical and logically sound. Each chapter reportedly grounds its counsel not in pop psychology but in the accumulated wisdom of two millennia. This approach is commendable for its coherence. By tethering practical advice to a consistent theological framework, Trenham avoids the disjointed and often contradictory advice that plagues secular marriage manuals. Here, a discussion on family finances is not merely about budgeting but about stewardship; a chapter on conflict resolution is rooted in repentance and forgiveness rather than mere therapeutic technique.
However, the book’s uncompromising vision also gives rise to its most significant challenges. The author’s well-established views on marital roles, which frame the family as a “benevolent monarchy” with the husband as its spiritual head, will undoubtedly be a stumbling block for a contemporary audience. While the model of Christ’s sacrifice for the Church is the stated ideal for the husband’s headship, the practical application of such a hierarchical structure in a modern context is fraught with peril. The potential for the degradation of a wife’s essential partnership into a subordinate subservience is a serious concern that requires more nuanced treatment than a workbook format may allow. A healthy society, and indeed a healthy family, is built on the free and complementary collaboration of individuals, and any framework that appears to diminish the agency of one partner invites legitimate criticism.
Furthermore, the unyielding application of ascetic principles to the marital bed, while rooted in a deep spiritual tradition, can risk overshadowing the unitive and grace-filled nature of physical intimacy within marriage. The struggle against the passions is a central reality of the human condition, yet this struggle must not lead to a denigration of the created good of marital union. The goodness of the world and the things in it, when rightly ordered, is a core tenet. Care must be taken to ensure that in rooting out disordered desire, one does not inadvertently trample upon the profound, sacramental goodness of the "one flesh" reality of marriage itself.
Ultimately, Enduring Love is a vital and necessary resource. It asks the right questions and points toward the right source for answers. It forces couples to confront the fundamental reality of what marriage is before they begin to shape what their own marriage will be. For those willing to engage with its demanding premises, the book offers a vision of marriage that is far more substantial and, ultimately, more rewarding than the hollow promises of the secular world.
In an age of therapeutic platitudes and contractual views of matrimony, Father Josiah Trenham’s Enduring Love: Laying Christian Foundations for Marriage is a bracing and unapologetic corrective. Structured as a ten-chapter workbook for pre-marital counseling, the text seeks not to innovate but to reclaim, drawing deeply from the wells of Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers to present marriage not as a vehicle for self-fulfillment, but as a crucible for sanctification. Trenham’s project is to restore a "glorious vision" of marriage as the bedrock of civilization, a task for which he is well-suited and which he executes with conviction.
The book’s primary strength lies in its foundational premise: that marriage is an objective reality with a divinely instituted nature and purpose. Trenham rightly diagnoses the chaos of modern relationships as a direct consequence of abandoning this truth. Where culture sees a partnership based on shifting feelings and mutual convenience, this book presents a permanent, covenantal union ordered toward the salvation of the spouses, the procreation and raising of children, and the establishment of the “domestic church.” This clear-eyed view of marriage as an institution with non-negotiable ends is a welcome anchor in a sea of relativism.
The structure of the book, addressing fundamentals such as communication, finances, and spiritual life, is practical and logically sound. Each chapter reportedly grounds its counsel not in pop psychology but in the accumulated wisdom of two millennia. This approach is commendable for its coherence. By tethering practical advice to a consistent theological framework, Trenham avoids the disjointed and often contradictory advice that plagues secular marriage manuals. Here, a discussion on family finances is not merely about budgeting but about stewardship; a chapter on conflict resolution is rooted in repentance and forgiveness rather than mere therapeutic technique.
However, the book’s uncompromising vision also gives rise to its most significant challenges. The author’s well-established views on marital roles, which frame the family as a “benevolent monarchy” with the husband as its spiritual head, will undoubtedly be a stumbling block for a contemporary audience. While the model of Christ’s sacrifice for the Church is the stated ideal for the husband’s headship, the practical application of such a hierarchical structure in a modern context is fraught with peril. The potential for the degradation of a wife’s essential partnership into a subordinate subservience is a serious concern that requires more nuanced treatment than a workbook format may allow. A healthy society, and indeed a healthy family, is built on the free and complementary collaboration of individuals, and any framework that appears to diminish the agency of one partner invites legitimate criticism.
Furthermore, the unyielding application of ascetic principles to the marital bed, while rooted in a deep spiritual tradition, can risk overshadowing the unitive and grace-filled nature of physical intimacy within marriage. The struggle against the passions is a central reality of the human condition, yet this struggle must not lead to a denigration of the created good of marital union. The goodness of the world and the things in it, when rightly ordered, is a core tenet. Care must be taken to ensure that in rooting out disordered desire, one does not inadvertently trample upon the profound, sacramental goodness of the "one flesh" reality of marriage itself.
Ultimately, Enduring Love is a vital and necessary resource. It asks the right questions and points toward the right source for answers. It forces couples to confront the fundamental reality of what marriage is before they begin to shape what their own marriage will be. For those willing to engage with its demanding premises, the book offers a vision of marriage that is far more substantial and, ultimately, more rewarding than the hollow promises of the secular world.
January 15, 2025
Good and fitting place to start thinking about the topic; Mostly insightful and concepts that resonated with me but a couple that at times, made me feel ambivalent and slightly ruffled, but may be due to my spiritual and intellectual ignorance. Overall, I think Fr. Trenham's interpretation in this book is quite easy to read, concise, and of Christian nature and will resonate with any serious Christian. The couples' excersise questions at the end of chapters were very thoughtful and important. Next, I would, and will, continue on to read directly from St. Chrysostom's homilies on marriage/family life and compare my attitudes and thoughts on similar matters vs. Fr. Trenham's interpretations. Overall, I reccomend this read to any serious Christian and their partner.
October 3, 2024
I'm not one for writing reviews, but this book is absolutely life-changing!
"Enduring Love" forces you to come face to face with how poisoned our view of marriage is; Marriage is designed by God, a Holy Sacrament, but it has been tainted by the sexual revolution and self-love movement of the 70s. This book highlights the importance of dying to yourself and living for your spouse every single day.
An amazing read for anyone single, dating, engaged, or even those who are already married and wanting to rekindle their "Pragma" and "Storge" love for one another.
I am personally reading "Enduring Love" with a fellow Orthodox Inquirer and it has brought us closer together than I ever thought we would be, wish us luck ;)
"Enduring Love" forces you to come face to face with how poisoned our view of marriage is; Marriage is designed by God, a Holy Sacrament, but it has been tainted by the sexual revolution and self-love movement of the 70s. This book highlights the importance of dying to yourself and living for your spouse every single day.
An amazing read for anyone single, dating, engaged, or even those who are already married and wanting to rekindle their "Pragma" and "Storge" love for one another.
I am personally reading "Enduring Love" with a fellow Orthodox Inquirer and it has brought us closer together than I ever thought we would be, wish us luck ;)
March 23, 2025
Absolutely beautiful guide to premarital counseling. Gives amazing insight into the true sacrament of marriage, ways to prepare for marriage spiritually, and what to expect in marriage, and how to navigate marriage. Really makes you think deeply about your expectations and grows your perception of marriage. Very excited to be married!!
December 7, 2024
“Use marriage appropriately, and you shall be the first in the Kingdom and enjoy every good thing. - St. John Chrysostom.
10 chapters with text from church fathers and scriptures to support his work I also thought adding pictures from weddings he has done was a nice touch making the book aesthetically pleasing.
Along with most of the exercises that will have you going in depth about your relationship, I’d recommend for couples for are considering engagement.
If both spouses truly follow the guidance here they will certainly glorify God on earth and receive their crowns of glory on the Last Day ☦️
Chapters
1. Gods Design for Marriage
2. Love and Expectations
3. Friendship and Goals
4. Communication and Conflict
5. Sex and Romance
6. Children and Parenting
7.. Roles and Responsibilities
8. Finances
9. Spiritual Life
10. Enduring to the End
Finished off by the wedding service in its entirety.
The critiques I have is that Father Josiah on the sections on what a wife ought to be are a bit outdated and lack nuance seeing as most women in USA are probably gonna be college educated (at least in the cities in my areas) and raising a family on one income is not as common nor sought after as it used to be.
And then a some of the questions for exercises could just be answered in one sentence like just talk to a priest.
Last one is that Father talks as if there is just a pool of desirable men and women at our local parish but many young adults will testify that it’s a struggle especially in the West. Flirt to convert isn’t bad when done properly and talked about early on, many couples at my parish did this. Online dating is seen as a must if you go to small parish with lack of singles. If this book were written 100yrs ago it would probably be 5 stars.
10 chapters with text from church fathers and scriptures to support his work I also thought adding pictures from weddings he has done was a nice touch making the book aesthetically pleasing.
Along with most of the exercises that will have you going in depth about your relationship, I’d recommend for couples for are considering engagement.
If both spouses truly follow the guidance here they will certainly glorify God on earth and receive their crowns of glory on the Last Day ☦️
Chapters
1. Gods Design for Marriage
2. Love and Expectations
3. Friendship and Goals
4. Communication and Conflict
5. Sex and Romance
6. Children and Parenting
7.. Roles and Responsibilities
8. Finances
9. Spiritual Life
10. Enduring to the End
Finished off by the wedding service in its entirety.
The critiques I have is that Father Josiah on the sections on what a wife ought to be are a bit outdated and lack nuance seeing as most women in USA are probably gonna be college educated (at least in the cities in my areas) and raising a family on one income is not as common nor sought after as it used to be.
And then a some of the questions for exercises could just be answered in one sentence like just talk to a priest.
Last one is that Father talks as if there is just a pool of desirable men and women at our local parish but many young adults will testify that it’s a struggle especially in the West. Flirt to convert isn’t bad when done properly and talked about early on, many couples at my parish did this. Online dating is seen as a must if you go to small parish with lack of singles. If this book were written 100yrs ago it would probably be 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews