Marriage in the Bible meets readers where they are to present them with researched perspectives, thoughtful prompts, and an honest invitation for dialogue on complex matters. And it’s a conversation piece that illustrates why Bird is among the premier public educators of the Bible.

Richard Newton, University of Alabama, author of Identifying Roots: Alex Haley and the Anthropology of Scriptures

With refreshing candor and directness, Dr. Jennifer Bird confronts head-on the patriarchal, heteronormative, and often abusive assumptions undergirding the concept of “biblical marriage.” Bird walks with her readers through a re-reading of key couples and passages in both testaments of Christian Scripture, offering linguistic, literary, and historical insight along the way to uncovering the vast chasm between the biblical world and today. She does not seek to impose her values upon her readers—though it is clear what her values are—but, rather, commends an honest interrogation of what modeling contemporary relationships after biblical precedent would really entail. Her work stands alongside Stephanie Coontz’s Marriage, a History as mandatory reading in understanding and reframing contemporary conversations around love and marriage in light of the cultural influences of the past.

Amy Lindeman Allen, Indiana Christian Church Associate Professor of New Testament, Christian Theological Seminary

In her provocative book, Jennifer Bird challenges what we understand the Christian Bible to say about marriage. She provides scholarship in easy language about verses we thought understood. I promise you’ll have some jaw-drops along the way!

Susan Cottrell, founder and president of FreedHearts and author of Radically Included: The Biblical Case for Radical Love and Inclusion: 49 Verses That Will Change Your Life, Change Your Love, and Set Your Heart Free!

This is that rarest of books on the Bible. Written by a trained biblical professional, it reads as though it were not, meaning that it is an engaging page-turner, personal and personable, on a topic of immense contemporary importance.

Stephen D. Moore, Edmund S. Janes Professor of New Testament Studies, The Theological School, Drew University

Jennifer Bird’s Marriage in the Bible is the book that we need now. It delves deeply into how we interpret the Bible—a topic that has become increasingly important in both personal and political settings. In clear and accessible language, her book considers the context in which the biblical texts on marriage, gender and reproduction were written, the significance of word usage, and the dominant assumptions that we often bring to our reading of these texts. It will be a great resource for congregations, educational institutions, and the general public.

Dr. Cheryl B. Anderson, professor of Old Testament, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Dr. Jennifer Bird's new book, Marriage in the Bible, is a landmark work on the topic that both scholars and everyday readers will find illuminating, insightful and educational. Bird's uncommon expertise in this area shines through on every page. Prepare to be surprised, challenged and astounded in every single chapter of this exceptional book. Highly recommended!

Keith Giles, author of the 7-part "Jesus Un" book series