Rating: 
Summary: Much Needed
Review: There are few spiritual battlegrounds that are as intense as love life. The way one acts in this area is a sure litmus test for determining whether he serves the world and society, the
flesh and self, or Jesus Christ. This is the reason Elisabeth Elliot published Passion and Purity in 1984. She wanted show that it is possible to love passionately and remain pure at the same time. She shows how to conform the wonderful gift of love to the perfect will of God and how to bring it under Christ's control.
The basic presupposition of the book is that sex is a gift from God and we should use it in a way that is pleasing to God. In the modern age this is a much needed lesson. Elisabeth Elliot points out that as Christians we should prize the sanctity of sex. She fervently argues that people can love each other passionately and stay pure. Throughout the book she stresses the importance and beauty of virginity. She points out that boredom engulfs a life without virginity. By attempting to obtain fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere.
Passion and Purity is a great book. It is a touching love story and a book that adequately demonstrates how Christian's love lives should be under Christ's control. It also affectively answers to tough questions such as how much a kiss can tell you, what do men look for in a woman, what to do with loneliness, and how to trust the sovereign will of God. I highly recommend this book to all Christians who want to give God total control of every aspect of his or her love life.
Rating: 
Summary: contradictory?
Review: My one question is basically... how come the author sets out guidelines that apparently (unless i misread the thing) SHE DIDN'T FOLLOW?!! I mean she says to avoid going to places alone... and avoid situations where it would be only the two of you. But then she goes around and tells a story of how she and jim were alone. (?) and then she follows it up that if she wasn't filled with the Holy Spirit it would have been hard. (hello?)
Rating:
Summary: The Most Influential Book of My Life
Review: Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot has had a major impact on my life. I've always loved reading from authors who are frank and to the point; those who do not mess around with millions of metaphors and fancy phrasing to get around telling it like it is. Elliot is such an author. Her style of writing is down to earth and inspiring, putting a different spin on everyday thinking. It is refreshing to read a book that presents God's truth in a way that is straight forward and clear. While the subtitle of the book implies that it is like every other dating book out there, let me say that it is anything but that. It probes our true motivations, our pains, and our victories in a way that made me forget that I was reading a so-called "dating commentary". It encouraged me to switch my views around, set better moral standards with more definite lines, and cleared up many gray areas. I believe that every Christian who wishes to date should read Passion and Purity so that they are prepared for all the challenges and temptations that dating holds.
Rating: 
Summary: Take it with a grain of salt
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. In an odd way it reminded me of a Greek drama or something... narrative interrupted by moral statements every now and then. The story was interesting. Actually I never got to the end but I got to the wedding night scene which was close enough to a happy ending.This book has some good advice, like for people separated from lovers or feeling alienated. I liked the ones about enduring through suffering without giving into it or trying to escape it. She would have agreed with Bruce Lee who once said, "Don't run away, let go." Parts like that - there are lots of them - are genuinely inspiring. But take it with a grain of salt, because not everything she says is based on the Bible. The most glaring example is the strictly man initiates/female receives thing. This is not based on the Bible but on ancient myths of Mother Earth and Father sky (read the paragraph she quotes about them... I'll never think the same way about rain again XD) and also the assumption that... how do I put it politely... that male and female anatomy is reflective of everything else in life. The one Bible passage she quotes on this is where Eve gives Adam the fruit. A woman initiated something and the whole universe goes to the toilet, right? Not that simple. In the book of Ruth, the title character PROPOSES to a man, who praises her for it, and God blesses their union. They were the ancestors of David, and Jesus Christ. And then in Esther, the title character defies the rules by approaching her husband the king without his prior permission, and in doing so saves her people the Israelites from genocide. Based on all this, in my opinion, if somebody has an idea or romantic proposal, what matters is if they are right or wrong. Not whether they are male or female. God put some assertive women on the planet and I don't think he meant for individuals to necessarily be placed in humanity's boxes. Elliott is a Christian author and has some good ideas but Christians are human too, and not always right. Read a lot of books and keep an open mind, but be sure to check it up to the ultimate Truth.
Rating:
Summary: A Life-Changer
Review: When I first read this book, I always had an extra copy on hand to give to anyone I met who hadn't read it. Mrs. Elliot is honest and direct about her own experience and with what she's learned from other women through the years. I think the model she presents is something everyone should strive for, however, I don't believe that doing everything just the same is a requirement for having a happy, healthy marriage. For example, if you tell the person you love them before you get engaged, well, that doesn't mean your marriage is doomed. I still think its a nice idea though. This book is a beautiful romance as well as a practical guide for young men and women today. It was a gift given to me and I hope to keep on giving it to others. The ideas and principles therein may seem outdated, but I believe we would all be better off if we followed them instead of letting our passions be our guide.
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