From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gary Chapman is a minister, counselor, and author of the Five Love Languages series. He is the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc.

Gary Chapman also has a radio program on marriage that airs on over 100 stations. Gary Chapman is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Wheaton College and Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in anthropology from Wake Forest University. Gary Chapman also received Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.Gary Chapman is also the senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Gary Chapman joined the staff in 1971 and shares the responsibilities of teaching and family care. Dr. Gary Chapman regularly speaks during the Sunday morning worship services. Gary Chapman is an intellectual Bible teacher who uses a singular wit and dry humor in his teaching style.

The first of many books promoting this concept was The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, published in 1992. The book has sold over 3 million copies in English — having been translated into 33 other languages[1] — and the 1996 edition consistently ranks in the top 100 sellers on Amazon.com, ranking in the top 50 as of February, 2007. Since then, Gary Chapman has gone on to apply the concept in additional books focusing on children, singles, men, and teenagers, and the topics of God and apology.

Editorial Reviews extracted from Amazon.com (Gary Chapman)

Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their “love tank.” Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.

How do you discover your spouse’s – and your own – love language? Chapman’s short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal .

Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.

Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like –hoping the feelings of affection will follow later– a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. “Love is a choice,” says Chapman. “And either partner can start the process today.”