So, I have resolved to do it. I am going to write a book proposal.

*trumpets and fanfare*

And I am going to do it on the topic of mutual marriage. Given the enthusiastic response to the Equally Yoked series, I think it’s a book that desperately needs to be written.

I’ve been toying around with the idea for a few weeks, and poring over books on Christian marriage to see what’s out there. I’ve discovered some gems, but one thing that struck me is how solemn the whole genre is. Even the best books seem to run the gambit from in-your-face rule-books about why you stink at being a husband/wife, to mystical treatises on cosmic romance that read like the misgotten offspring of Grudem’s Systematic Theology and one those elf ballads from “Lord of the Rings.” And as I feared, the more egalitarian the books were, the more academic they were. Which is handy if you’re the sort of person who likes to ponder the socio-policial climate of the ancient Roman empire, but they’re not exactly the sort of thing you can hand to your friend at church who is struggling with their marriage. Not unless they, like, have advanced degrees in the classics, or are just really geeky.

My vision is for a book that is practical, readable, and dare I say fun. Unapologetically egalitarian (a lot of the books I read were functionally egalitarian, but stopped short of giving people the resources they need to push back against the prevailing hierarchical mindset), but not overly theological.

Here’s where I need your help. What sort of topics do you think need to be addressed in a book like this? What questions do you have, and what questions are you constantly asked? What issues do Christians struggle with in their marriages, and what resources do they need to begin to address them? Who do you think I should interview for this book, experts (because I am not one, and will need to draw from their knowledge) and otherwise?

Please, please, pretty please, leave your thoughts, questions, and ideas in the comments section, and solicit ideas from others! I’m running away from home next weekend (thank you Aaron!) to start cobbling together an outline, and the comments will be printed out and taken with me, to help guide the process. Thanks for your help!