Defending Traditional Marriage: It Starts with You

Marriage is a hot topic these days. It’s easy to find out who married who and for how long-just turn on the TV or open a newspaper. But with the recent, well-publicized court battles regarding marriage, many are beginning to wonder: Is the increased interest in marriage issues a good thing? Or are people being trained to devalue this sacred relationship?

Using expertise from his thirty years as a clinical psychologist and marriage counselor, Willard F. Harley Jr. asseses the state of marriage today and shows couples how to safeguard their own marriages from current laws and culture. In this new book he offers a detailed definition of marriage: it is a permanent and sexually exclusive relationship of extraordinary care between one man and one woman. In thoroughly examining each element of this definition, Harley shows couples what they can do to influence legislation and how to grow a strong marriage-even amidst today’s marriage-unfriendly culture.

From the Back Cover

Why does traditional marriage need to be defended?

Traditional marriage is a permanent and sexually exclusive relationship of extraordinary care between one man and one woman.

But marriage, as defined this way, has been under attack for more than seventy five years, and if you’re married-or planning to be-that’s not good news. In fact, those attacking traditional marriage have been winning. Why? And what can be done about it?

Willard F. Harley, Jr., nationally acclaimed clinical psychologist and best-selling author, believes you can not only protect your own family from falling prey to these legal and cultural attacks but also help reverse the trend that characterizes today’s marriage-unfriendly culture.

Historically, traditional marriage has provided two primary advantages over any other relationships: safety and stability. If either of these advantages is undermined, the success of an entire society is threatened. With heated sanctity-of-marriage debates swirling around us, whose responsibility is it to defend what’s left of traditional marriage?

According to Dr. Harley, "It starts with you."


Willard F. Harley, Jr. is a nationally acclaimed clinical psychologist, marriage counselor, and best-selling author of His Needs, Her Needs. His popular web site, www.marriagebuilders.com, offers practical solutions to almost any marital problem. Dr. Harley leads Marriage Builders Weekend Conferences across the country.