Opening the book to page 57 and reading "if the ring is perceived as a symbol that enhances the loving care and stability that should exist in a marriage, it would be uncaring and less than Christian to condemn those who find strength for fidelity in its symbolic meaning" is enough to arrest the attention of any Seventh-day Adventist reader. Going from there to the table of contents and finding titles such as "The Meaning and Demeaning of Marriage," "With or Without a Ring," "Mixed Marriages," "Plural Marriages," and "Second Marriages," the reader realizes that the author has put his pen on some theological and social sore spots within global Adventism.
Kistler, a former pastor, is a sociologist at Andrews University. He wrestles with some perennial questions in our world wide church. They are issues that inevitably arise as the church impacts other cultures.
Marriage, Divorce, and ... is well documented as a resource base for both pastor and laity. It is written without technical jargon and easily understood.
Although Kistler would not suggest that his work is definitive, it is an acutely needed resource that combines biblical theology, the counsels of Ellen White, modern social science, a broad cultural understanding, and compassion.
The volume is a significant contribution because it deals with multicultural issues. It will also help the casual reader to be sensitive to the church's attempts in the past to deal with such complex issues as mixed marriages and plural marriages, and to see how our present positions have evolved.
At a time when individuals apply their own understanding to the church's teachings on divorce, remarriage, and rings, this volume can contribute toward reaching a theological and sociological consensus.
