A Catholic Handbook For Engaged and Newly Married Couples

by Frederick W. Marks III

In this practical guide to marriage, learn the "secrets" of building a sound spiritual relationship with your fiance or spouse--from toothpaste in the sink to natural family planning.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Nonfiction, Marriage

154 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Frederick W. Marks III was an American historian and Catholic apologist. As a scholar, he has written and taught extensively on American diplomatic history. As a proponent of Roman Catholicism, he has written dozens of articles and tracts and spoken extensively in public. Marks graduated with a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He taught at the University of Michigan, Purdue University, and St. John’s University.

Reviews

[Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to be married. Containing very sound advice backed by research and lots of resources for help, it really covers everything you would want to know. It was also extremely well-written to boot.

[Sheila Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been teetering between giving this book 4 or 5 stars. The “Questionnaire for Engaged Couples” and first four chapters were INCREDIBLE (some of the best stuff I’ve read). I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend those parts of the book to couples discerning marriage.

If based solely on those sections, I can say for a fact it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read hands down. I enjoy the directness of the author, he has a great sense of humor, and the content is phenomenal—important stuff to consider and discuss with a partner before marriage.

The rest of the book (chapter five and Appendixes) was okay but in my opinion not amazing. Some good points were made, but the content in some of the Appendixes seemed kind of off-topic to the book and some of the statistics cited I consider to have questionable accuracy.

[Katie Kreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book after winning it through the Goodreads First Reads program. I am not Catholic, but am always curious about faiths other than my own. This book was very interesting and in a lot of aspects can apply to any marriage no matter what faith they practice. It was an interesting read and certainly made me ponder on how I could make my happy marriage and even happier one.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author repeats a lot of Catholic teaching in this book, which is helpful for Catholic couples who are unaware or need a push in the right direction. However, most practicing Catholics won't learn anything new. There were a couple of biblical/historical things I learned, however. While this book isn't bad, it also isn't great. The author clearly did his research, but the book felt lacking to me. First of all, it's a book about marriage with no female perspective! That's a huge loss. Additionally, the author's tone is quite serious and rigid when it comes to "the Law." As a Catholic, I believe being faithful to Church teaching and one's well-formed conscience is essential to living out our vocation and call to union with God. However, I didn't read much joy in the author's tone! To me, it read more like, "This is the way it is for these reasons, and this is what we have to do/sacrifice." In short, if you're a Catholic considering reading this book, it's a quick read. It's one you can pick up and put down easily. This book has its uses, but it's not going to bring you much joy or excitement about the vocation of marriage.

[Caley Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much exactly what was described in the title and fairly thorough, though a lot of the book was dedicated to instruction on how to be a good Catholic in general and not just a married one.

[grace !! · Rating 3 out of 5]

idk a veces estuvo medio interesante y luego no

[Eve Marlborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cramming for finals!

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new here.....more of a review of Catholic principles, but worth the read.

[LL · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might not be the most groundbreaking read, but it does raise some interesting points.