What Is Marriage?

“What Is Marriage? There is the question. Thanks to these three eloquent authors for so cogently reminding us of that, and for showing us how reflective reason answers it.” —Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York< “What Is Marriage? is the most insightful, eloquent, and influential defense of marriage as it has been historically and rightly understood. People of all traditions—and everyone who cares about the future of this central and sacred social institution—owe Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George an extraordinary debt.” —Meir Soloveichik, Associate Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University “With many countries on the verge of redefining a basic social institution, What Is Marriage? issues an urgent call for full deliberation of what is at stake. The authors make a compelling secular case for marriage as a partnership between a man and a woman, whose special status is based on society’s interest in the nurture and education of children.” —Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University “What a joy to see this book by Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George, which presents the most philosophically astute and historically accurate defense of traditional marriage to date. It exposes the incoherence of attempts to radically redefine marriage by showing the inherent wisdom in what is our oldest social institution.” —David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair in Jewish Studies, University of Toronto “Before we even consider fundamentally altering an institution that has been the foundation for all of our family laws, we should understand why marriage has been defined as a conjugal union across centuries and cultures. A lot more is at stake than the definition of a word, and this book reveals just how much is at stake. Its defense of marriage is philosophical and sociological, not theological, but people of all faiths will find it illuminating and edifying.” —Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Zaytuna College “This book brilliantly explains why the definition of marriage is so critical and why the strengthening of marriages is absolutely essential to our freedom and our future.” —Dr. Rick Warren, Author of The Purpose Driven Life and Pastor of Saddleback Church