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History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, And Cher - Hardcover
This surprise bestseller from Canada traces the groups and individuals who are part of a timeless phenomenon that transcends culture and religion. Joan of Arc was one. So was Sir Isaac Newton. A monk vows to be one. A prisoner has no choice. History tells of many avowed celibates, and today's society reflects a renewed interest in celibacy. But what caused -- and still causes -- people to give up sex, the very activity that drives, fascinates, troubles, and delights the rest of us? Elizabeth Abbott's spirited and provocative exploration of celibacy debunks the traditionally held notion that celibacy is a predominantly religious concept of little concern to the secular world. With myriad examples, Abbott's lively history reveals insights not only about our religious practices but also about our sexual desires and changing attitudes toward gender and physical health. From the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, who were entombed alive if they broke their vows, to contemporary ath
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Review:
Readers who consider celibacy the exclusive domain of priests and nuns are in for a big surprise. Elizabeth Abbott's entertaining history traces over 3,000 years of sexual abstinence and illustrates how it has been practiced all over the world for a variety of reasons, both religious and secular. A History of Celibacy begins with the ancient Greek deities, Athena, Artemis, and Hestia, for whom celibacy was a means of liberation from traditional female servitude, and concludes with the present-day AIDS epidemic, a primary justification for the renewed call to celibacy. In between, Abbott, who dedicated eight years to this project, discovers fascinating examples of sexual abstinence, whether coerced or self-proclaimed, temporary or permanent. For example, celibacy enabled egalitarianism and female leadership for 18th-century Shakers, the Greek athlete enhanced athletic performance by conserving semen, and Shamans and Vodun priests to this day attain a state conducive to communicating with the spirits through short-term abstinence.
From Booklist:
Abbott describes and analyzes over 120 instances of sexual abstinence, expertly illuminating the interrelation of detailed particulars with historical context and social norms. A bestseller in Canada, where Abbott serves as Dean of Women at Trinity College, A History of Celibacy neither advocates nor opposes the practice. Instead, Abbott, herself a converted celibate, emphasizes individual choice according to individual needs, drives, and desires. --Bertina Loeffler Sedlack
Abbott, dean of women at Trinity College, University of Toronto, investigates the concept of celibacy through examining legends as well as social and religious history to provide "a descriptive and analytic narrative," uncovering in the process the need, either spiritual or societal, for its practice. She finds that every religious tradition throughout history and across the globe has a place for the practice of celibacy, whether it serves as a search for God, for fulfillment or peace, or merely for a socially sanctioned way to impose control over sexual practices. The early Christian church fathers, with their decidedly misogynistic point of view, saw celibacy as a way to contain the evil of lust. Women in the Middle Ages could gain education and status from convent life, and Muslim women were and are often mutilated to ensure their celibate state. In today's world, celibacy is practiced by men and women alike for reasons as various as religious purity and insurance against AIDS infection. Abbott writes as a scholar with a decidedly modern and nondevotional point of view. Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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- PublisherDiane Pub Co
- Publication date2000
- ISBN 10 0756781892
- ISBN 13 9780756781897
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages493
- Rating
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