Celibacy in the Ancient World

Celibacy in the Ancient World
Author: Dale Launderville
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Total Pages: 617
Release: 2010-07-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0814657346

Download Celibacy in the Ancient World Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Celibacy is a commitment to remain unmarried and to renounce sexual relations, for a limited period or for a lifetime. Such a commitment places an individual outside human society in its usual form, and thus questions arise: What significance does such an individual, and such a choice, have for the human family and community as a whole? Is celibacy possible? Is there a socially constructive role for celibacy? These questions guide Dale Launderville, OSB, in his study of celibacy in the ancient cultures of Israel, Mesopotamia, and Greece prior to Hellenism and the rise of Christianity. Launderville focuses especially on literary witnesses, because those enduring texts have helped to shape modern attitudes and can aid us in understanding the factors that may call forth the practice of celibacy in our own time. Readers will discover how celibacy fits within a context of relationships, and what kinds of relationships thus support a healthy and varied society, one aware of and oriented to its cosmic destiny. Dale Launderville, OSB, is professor of theology at Saint John's University School of Theology/Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota. He is the author of Piety and Politics: The Dynamics of Royal Authority in Homeric Greece, Biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia (Eerdmans, 2003) and Spirit and Reason: The Embodied Character of Ezekiel's Symbolic Thinking (Baylor University Press, 2007).

A History of Celibacy

A History of Celibacy
Author: Elizabeth Abbott
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 504
Release: 2000
Genre: Celibacy
ISBN: 0684849437

Download A History of Celibacy Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

What causes people to give up sex? Abbott's provocative and entertaining exploration of celibacy through the ages debunks traditional notions about celibacy--a practice that reveals much about human sexual desires and drives.

Celibacy in Crisis

Celibacy in Crisis
Author: A.W. Richard Sipe
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2004-03
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1134001029

Download Celibacy in Crisis Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

In the midst of the worst crisis the Catholic Church has seen in almost 500 years, this book challenges Catholic authorities to renew, rethink, or reform the long-standing institution of celibacy.

Marriage, Celibacy, and Heresy in Ancient Christianity

Marriage, Celibacy, and Heresy in Ancient Christianity
Author: David G. Hunter
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2007-01-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0199279780

Download Marriage, Celibacy, and Heresy in Ancient Christianity Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A study of the 'heretic' Jovinian and the Jovinianist controversy, this work examines early Christian views on marriage and celibacy in the first three centuries and the development of an anti-heretical tradition. It provides an analysis of the responses of Jovinian's main opponents.

Regulating Sex in the Roman Empire

Regulating Sex in the Roman Empire
Author: David Wheeler-Reed
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2017-11-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0300231318

Download Regulating Sex in the Roman Empire Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A New Testament scholar challenges the belief that American family values are based on “Judeo-Christian” norms by drawing unexpected comparisons between ancient Christian theories and modern discourses Challenging the long-held assumption that American values—be they Christian or secular—are based on “Judeo-Christian” norms, this provocative study compares ancient Christian discourses on marriage and sexuality with contemporary ones, maintaining that modern family values owe more to Roman Imperial beliefs than to the bible. Engaging with Foucault’s ideas, Wheeler-Reed examines how conservative organizations and the Supreme Court have misunderstood Christian beliefs on marriage and the family. Taking on modern cultural debates on marriage and sexuality, with implications for historians, political thinkers, and jurists, this book undermines the conservative ideology of the family, starting from the position that early Christianity, in its emphasis on celibacy and denunciation of marriage, was in opposition to procreation, the ideological norm in the Greco-Roman world.

A History of Celibacy

A History of Celibacy
Author: Elizabeth Abbott
Publisher:
Total Pages: 493
Release: 2004-10
Genre:
ISBN: 9780756781897

Download A History of Celibacy Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

From the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, who were entombed alive if they broke their vows, to contemporary athletes, who abstain to enhance their performance, celibacy has been found in every society of the past & present, a timeless phenomenon that transcends culture & religion. In this spirited & provocative history, Elizabeth Abbott examines celibacy over the span of 3,000 years . . . shaping religious lives, conditioning athletes & shamans, surfacing in classical poetry & camp literature, resonating in the voices of castrati, & permeating ancient mythology. As central to human nature as sex, celibacy has as many stories as adherents, & Abbott weaves them into a seamless tapestry that brings history alive.

Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Author: John Bergsma
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1984823124

Download Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A major new work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, which reveals their surprising connections to early Christianity. “A luminous treatment of a fascinating subject! Highly recommended!”—Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup From award-winning scholar John Bergsma comes an intriguing book that reveals new insights on the Essenes, a radical Jewish community predating Christianity, whose existence, beliefs, and practices are often overlooked in the annuls of history. Bergsma reveals how this Jewish sect directly influenced the beliefs, sacraments, and practices of early Christianity and offers new information on how Christians lived their lives, worshipped, and eventually went on to influence the Roman Empire and Western civilization. Looking to Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition, Bergsma helps to further explain how a simple Jewish peasant could go on to inspire a religion and a philosophy that still resonates 2,000 years later. In this enriching and exciting exploration, Bergsma demonstrates how the Dead Sea Scrolls—the world's greatest modern archaeological discovery—can shed light on the Church as a sacred society that offered hope, redemption, and salvation to its member. Ultimately, these mysterious writings are a time machine that can transport us back to the ancient world, deepen our appreciation of Scripture, and strengthen our understanding of the Christian faith. “An accessible introduction . . . This is a handy entry point for readers unfamiliar with Essenes or those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”—Publishers Weekly

Celibacy and Religious Traditions

Celibacy and Religious Traditions
Author: Carl Olson
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0195306317

Download Celibacy and Religious Traditions Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

For an educated, general readership and for use in college courses, this text introduces the role of celibacy, or a lack of it, in various religious traditions, and the contributors present the rationale for its observance (or not) within the context of each tradition.