A Survey of Sex and Celibacy in Religion: From Ancient to Modern TimesBook Tree, 2003 - 164 pages Why was sex so important in early religions? Why have there been so many sexual scandals with priests? How and why did the practice of celibacy begin? Is being celibate psychologically helpful to monks, nuns, and others who must practice it? This book examines the role of sex in religion from the earliest known time of pre-Christian cults up into the modern day. It is the only book we know of that approaches the problem of sex and celibacy in religion in such a complete and thorough way. It describes an age-old struggle being waged by religious representatives between their own natural state of human sexuality and its complete suppression in the name of God. |
Contents
SEX SYMBOLISM IN PRIMITIVE AND LATER RELIGIONS II | 11 |
EROTIC SYMBOLISM IN CHURCHES | 28 |
CELIBATE FANATICS AND THE HUMAN BODY | 59 |
THE DREADFUL CULT OF THE ANCHORITES | 63 |
MARTYRS OF THE VIRGIN LIFE | 71 |
SOME ENGLISH HERMITAGES AND THEIR STORY | 77 |
THE ROMANCE OF WARKWORTH HERMITAGE | 88 |
MORE MARTYRS OF THE VIRGIN LIFE | 93 |
THE DARKEST SIDE OF CLERICAL CELIBACY | 99 |
WOMEN UNDER CELIBACY | 103 |
THE TRAGEDY OF WALLEDUP MONKS AND NUNS | 116 |
CLERICAL CELIBACY AND THE CONFESSIONAL | 124 |
XV | 128 |
WHY NOT ABOLISH CLERICAL CELIBACY? | 138 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 143 |
Common terms and phrases
9 trade Abbey anchorites ancient beautiful Bertram Bishop body BRISTOL CATHEDRAL brothels Carthusian carvings castle Cathedral Catholic Church Catholic Encyclopędia caused cave celibate cell cenobites century certainly chapter chastity Christ Christian clergy Clerical Celibacy confession Confessional Confessor cult demon devil discovered dreadful Ely Cathedral emblems England erotic evidence evil fact fanatics Father female flagellation George's Chapel girl Glendalough hand hermitage hermits Holy Holy Prepuce human idea ISBN Jesuit Kersey Graves lived married medieval misericords misery modern monastery monastic monk moral natural nude nunneries nuns obscene pagan perhaps Phallic phallus pillar placed Plate priest primitive prisoners probably prostitutes Reformation religion religious rock Roman Catholic Roman Church sacred saints says scandals scene sensual sex symbols sexual solitary stone story suffering temples theologians to-day trade paper Trappists tree Virgin wall walled-up Westminster Abbey wife Windsor woman women worship writers young