The twentieth century has witnessed the emergence of a new discourse in Christianity's approach to marriage and family life which is not simply one of official doctrine or institutional teaching. The term "marital spirituality" describes a field of Christian faith and practice that emanates from and has its distinctive contours in the lives of married people and their families. This Companion to Marital Spirituality, multi-disciplinary and international in scope, is dedicated entirely to the exploration of this recent and still relatively young discourse: how the ground was prepared and how it finally emerged in the history of Christianity, the specific field of faith experience and practice it points to, and the perspectives it opens for the Christian understanding of marriage and spirituality alike. By providing an overview of key developments, thematic issues and debates, this volume is conceived as an academically grounded introduction to the growing subject of marital spirituality.