Rating: 
Summary: Not for the squeamish!
Review: a sometimes one sided view of a cookie cutter husband...don't dare disagree
Rating: 
Summary: Not All Christians are Alike!
Review: After reading the reviews accompanying this book,other than the review just following mine, I feel compelled to respond. It is crucial for prospective buyers to realize that the teachings espoused in this work do NOT represent those of mainstream Protestant or Anabaptist (those who believe in Baptism as adults, after conversion or confirmation) theology. ... The reviewers,..., of the author put forth the view that this book teaches husbands how to love their wives as Christ loved the church...that being, sacrificially. No no no! Rather, the book Federal Husband is just as scarey as its title suggests! I know several young husbands who follow the teachings of this author's "denomination"; in reality, Mr. Wilson teaches men and women to cling to extremely rigid role definitions which preclude husbands from having anything to do with the raising of children, from helping their wives around the home, etc. Women are to change ALL the diapers, care for the children solely, and are not allowed to work outside the home! Men call all the shots regarding sexual activity within the marriage and women are to "take care of their men doing whatever they want whenever they want" This is truly frightening stuff! In fact, the women in Mr. Wilson's "church" are NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO READ HIS BOOK!! Does this tell us anything?... Jesus certainly never referred to himself with anything even close to "Federal"...God's love is not about control and holding hostage.
Rating: 
Summary: organic wisdom to be applied here
Review: As an avid reader of books produced by Canon Press, I have encountered Pastor Wilson on many occasions, much to my pleasure. What Federal Husband purports to be is a glance at how a husband must mold his thoughts and actions if he wishes to love his wife as Christ loves the church. What in fact we get from Pastor Wilson's book is an exhaustive work that says everything that needs to be said on the subject and leaves no further questions for his audience. If Aquinas was exhaustive in his approach with his Summa Theologica, then Pastor Wilson gives us his Summa Federalis Husbanditum. No longer is there any need to read anything else by Wilson or any other author who writes on the family.
I have taken his writing to heart and put it into practice. First of all, I don't let my wife read it. That would obviously be against what the Bible and Pastor Wilson teaches. I also keep my wife buttoned up in the house, changing our kids diapers, cooking all my meals, and meeting me between the sheets when I'm feeling froggy. This way I never have to help her with the woman's work and can stick to my eight hour work day and come home and relax. It has all worked out quite well. We have well-adjusted children and a marriage that is just dynamite ... and I haven't really had to lift a finger!
Rating:
Summary: organic wisdom to be applied here
Review: As an avid reader of books produced by Canon Press, I have encountered Pastor Wilson on many occasions, much to my pleasure. What Federal Husband purports to be is a glance at how a husband must mold his thoughts and actions if he wishes to love his wife as Christ loves the church. What in fact we get from Pastor Wilson's book is an exhaustive work that says everything that needs to be said on the subject and leaves no further questions for his audience. If Aquinas was exhaustive in his approach with his Summa Theologica, then Pastor Wilson gives us his Summa Federalis Husbanditum. No longer is there any need to read anything else by Wilson or any other author who writes on the family.
I have taken his writing to heart and put it into practice. First of all, I don't let my wife read it. That would obviously be against what the Bible and Pastor Wilson teaches. I also keep my wife buttoned up in the house, changing our kids diapers, cooking all my meals, and meeting me between the sheets when I'm feeling froggy. This way I never have to help her with the woman's work and can stick to my eight hour work day and come home and relax. It has all worked out quite well. We have well-adjusted children and a marriage that is just dynamite ... and I haven't really had to lift a finger!
Rating: 
Summary: Another great work by Mr. Wilson
Review: Even though Federal Husband is not Mr Wilsons best book, it is another great book truly seeking to what the BIBLE says about a man's role. Mr Wilson urges his readers to love their wives as themselves and helps the reader understand what a biblical home will look like. Mr. Wilson always works from scripture and attempts to expound upon all the impacts that will have on our lives. However, at some times he says that one must know that Paul calls all things permissable for believers but not all things are benficial. He attempts to explain what things are profitable. Mr Wilson is extremely conservative and fully relies on the innerancy of the scriptures. I would recomend this book only after having read some of Mr. Wilson's other books. Infedility is his best book, in my honest opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Another great work by Mr. Wilson
Review: Even though Federal Husband is not Mr Wilsons best book, it is another great book truly seeking to what the BIBLE says about a man's role. Mr Wilson urges his readers to love their wives as themselves and helps the reader understand what a biblical home will look like. Mr. Wilson always works from scripture and attempts to expound upon all the impacts that will have on our lives. However, at some times he says that one must know that Paul calls all things permissable for believers but not all things are benficial. He attempts to explain what things are profitable. Mr Wilson is extremely conservative and fully relies on the innerancy of the scriptures. I would recomend this book only after having read some of Mr. Wilson's other books. Infedility is his best book, in my honest opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Worst piece of sexist filth I've ever read! Don't read it!
Review: Ew! I don't even want to give this book a star. Can you give negative stars? Since I've been doing an indepth study on Biblical Equality, I thought I'd pick up this book and see this guys point of view. The ideas presented in this book are so entirely unbiblical that I couldn't even stand it. He states ideas like: sexism isn't really a sin, and a woman's "purpose" is to bear children and serve a man. Not only are they entirely untrue, but his arguments to support his cases are really bad. One example of this (and the book is full of them) is how he mentions how husbands are to love their wives as Jesus loves the church, but twists it and says that Paul meant this in an "entirely mundane" way. C'mon buddy! I'm sorry, but Jesus' love for me is more than "mundane". My advice is to not read this book, but if you do, and if you know people that adhere to these blasphemous worldviews, teach them about how Jesus came to set women free. Not to set them free to be only housewives (which, by the way, is an entirely 19th century idealogy), but to set them free to choose, to bring complete and total equality between ALL people. Don't even try to tell me that the women who followed Jesus around on his public ministry were housewives. Think about these issues and don't just accept ideas like Mr. Wilsons disgusting stereotyping and misconstrued ideas about what Jesus has done for humankind. Jesus came to set ALL people free: males, females, slaves, different races, Jews and Gentiles! Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!
Rating:
Summary: Not All Christians are Alike!
Review: i was a bit surprised at the book. i am a covenantal husband myself, with a Proverbs 31 wife. i started reading this book in preparation for a small group study, expecting to be in resounding agreement with it. Now i find myself in a bit of a quandry. i agree with 75-80% of what he purports, and disagree with almost 90% of the reasons he gives for what he purports. His scripture references are twisted a bit and the logic he uses as to why we should do these things is seriously flawed in many instances. He consistently misses the best arguments for his positions. This is disturbing from an author that touts discipline and scholarship. Where his logic is not blatantly flawed, or his scripture interpretations far from definitive, he enlists the support of vague arguments which he purports to the reader as "given". The "given" positions from which he often argues are far from empirical--out and out wrong many times (in my opinion). His subsequent positions hang in the air and the reader is to take his word for it that they levitate. An example from Section One(which is rife with this problem), page 17, 2nd para.: "The relation that exists between us and Adam is clearly a covenantal one." That is all Doug Wilson says about there being a covenantal relationship between Adam and all humanity. He immediately goes on to discuss the subsequent impacts of that relationship (the entire rest of the book), but says nothing, before or after, about how he arrived at that point. And it doesn't matter whether he's right or not (i already said, i happen to think he probably is on that point), that tenant (covenant with Adam) is not a basic principle familiar to any average Christian reader that i've ever met (which has to be his primary audience or he can't make any number of other "clearly" statements he makes). His average reader is probably fooled into thinking that this "basic" point from which he builds his position is beyond them, but if they read more or knew as much as Mr. Wilson, they'd recognize it as "basic" truth as well. This smacks of gnosticism and, again, is very disturbing from someone who touts scholarship as much as Mr. Wilson. He's willing that his reader accept his position without knowing why. Then again, maybe it is a mere falling to the common tendancy of "When you have a new hammer everything looks like a nail" (which Mr. Wilson ironically denies explicitly within the book). Perhaps the inadequacies of logic are merely the result of attempting to forcing it all under the "federal/covenantal" umbrella. A few quick examples of those other poor techniques would be most of his Section Two, especially the dogmatism he tries to infer from scripture regarding clothing, jewelry, and grooming standards. Heck, i'm a military officer, so i'm all about conservative appearance if anyone is, but i'm not about twisting scripture and enlisting bad logic to shore up my position. His treatment on women in combat is atrocious--again i agree with his position, but his supporting arguments are highly wanting. i don't know much about the inner workings of the Promise Keeper's movement, and, thanks to Mr. Wilson's tendancy, i still don't (despite reading 4 pages (36-39) of Doug Wilson's take on them). i know what he's accusing them of and i know what evil results he purports come from their shortcomings, but i haven't one single reference (much less an actual presentation of evidence) that the movement is, in fact, guilty of his accusation. Again, maybe i'm just not in the know. Maybe he wrote this for such a specific, narrow, elite audience that i'm left on the sidelines. If so, it's irresponsible not to have indicated as much in any preface, introduction, or even within the context of the book. Again, i'm at a loss as to what to recommend with respect to this work. The subject is so amazingly important if we are to fulfill our roles as men--healing our families, churches, communities, and nation--i hate to tell someone not to read it. But, i have to think there is better treatment of it out there. You'd probably be better reading some C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, or G.K. Chesterton. No, it won't be as focussed on this specific topic, but you'll pick up most of what you need to form a responsible Christian philosophy about masculinity, marriage, and its influence in society.
Rating:
Summary: Gnosticism or poor scholarship--take your pick...
Review: i was a bit surprised at the book. i am a covenantal husband myself, with a Proverbs 31 wife. i started reading this book in preparation for a small group study, expecting to be in resounding agreement with it. Now i find myself in a bit of a quandry. i agree with 75-80% of what he purports, and disagree with almost 90% of the reasons he gives for what he purports. His scripture references are twisted a bit and the logic he uses as to why we should do these things is seriously flawed in many instances. He consistently misses the best arguments for his positions. This is disturbing from an author that touts discipline and scholarship. Where his logic is not blatantly flawed, or his scripture interpretations far from definitive, he enlists the support of vague arguments which he purports to the reader as "given". The "given" positions from which he often argues are far from empirical--out and out wrong many times (in my opinion). His subsequent positions hang in the air and the reader is to take his word for it that they levitate. An example from Section One(which is rife with this problem), page 17, 2nd para.: "The relation that exists between us and Adam is clearly a covenantal one." That is all Doug Wilson says about there being a covenantal relationship between Adam and all humanity. He immediately goes on to discuss the subsequent impacts of that relationship (the entire rest of the book), but says nothing, before or after, about how he arrived at that point. And it doesn't matter whether he's right or not (i already said, i happen to think he probably is on that point), that tenant (covenant with Adam) is not a basic principle familiar to any average Christian reader that i've ever met (which has to be his primary audience or he can't make any number of other "clearly" statements he makes). His average reader is probably fooled into thinking that this "basic" point from which he builds his position is beyond them, but if they read more or knew as much as Mr. Wilson, they'd recognize it as "basic" truth as well. This smacks of gnosticism and, again, is very disturbing from someone who touts scholarship as much as Mr. Wilson. He's willing that his reader accept his position without knowing why. Then again, maybe it is a mere falling to the common tendancy of "When you have a new hammer everything looks like a nail" (which Mr. Wilson ironically denies explicitly within the book). Perhaps the inadequacies of logic are merely the result of attempting to forcing it all under the "federal/covenantal" umbrella. A few quick examples of those other poor techniques would be most of his Section Two, especially the dogmatism he tries to infer from scripture regarding clothing, jewelry, and grooming standards. Heck, i'm a military officer, so i'm all about conservative appearance if anyone is, but i'm not about twisting scripture and enlisting bad logic to shore up my position. His treatment on women in combat is atrocious--again i agree with his position, but his supporting arguments are highly wanting. i don't know much about the inner workings of the Promise Keeper's movement, and, thanks to Mr. Wilson's tendancy, i still don't (despite reading 4 pages (36-39) of Doug Wilson's take on them). i know what he's accusing them of and i know what evil results he purports come from their shortcomings, but i haven't one single reference (much less an actual presentation of evidence) that the movement is, in fact, guilty of his accusation. Again, maybe i'm just not in the know. Maybe he wrote this for such a specific, narrow, elite audience that i'm left on the sidelines. If so, it's irresponsible not to have indicated as much in any preface, introduction, or even within the context of the book. Again, i'm at a loss as to what to recommend with respect to this work. The subject is so amazingly important if we are to fulfill our roles as men--healing our families, churches, communities, and nation--i hate to tell someone not to read it. But, i have to think there is better treatment of it out there. You'd probably be better reading some C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, or G.K. Chesterton. No, it won't be as focussed on this specific topic, but you'll pick up most of what you need to form a responsible Christian philosophy about masculinity, marriage, and its influence in society.
Rating:
Summary: (A not-so) Quick Review
Review: The books thesis: To be a truly Christian husband is to love one's wife as Christ loves His Church. How does Wilson undertake his task? First, he points the reader to a definition of "federal headship" and the covenantal language of relationships which are based in Christ. An interesting point that Wilson makes is that many times, when husbands have marital difficulties with their wives, the men are quick to say "It's her fault. She just isn't a Biblical wife" (or some variation of blaming the wife). But as a Federal Husband, the man is ultimately responsible for all sinful activity in the house and cannot blame any in his house for any shortcomings. The second section deals with the pitfalls of husbandry. The chapter basically covers the responsibilities of husbands "as well as some of the common sins which husbands frequently commit." Wilson deals with caring for the "conjugal relations, provision of clothing and provision of food." He also details the respect due to a wife/mother and the husbands role in godly parenting, what it means to treat your wife like a lady and the role of the husband in his occupation. The third section is really, really good. Wilson takes on the masculinist, traditionalist, egalitarian and feminist views of family and headship by posing the hierarchical/Biblical view. He makes the case that women are not to submit to men "generally," nor or women subservient to men. She has a duty to her husband to provide help and submit (but only to him). Women do not have a duty to "submit" to just any person. "Submit" is handled in more detail within the book for those of you who may be a little upset right now. Next Wilson discusses feminine beauty...in the form of a pregnant wife. Pregnancy is honorable, a glory to the mother and is altogether lovely. Other matters are discussed which would simply take too long to comment on. Does the thesis match the content of the book? Yes. To be a Federal Husband entails much of the substance of Doug Wilson's material. And there is really more in this book that is worthwhile I really can not adequately comment on all of it here. Please get this book and enjoy it as much as I have.
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