Sex In The World S Religions

Sex and religion are inevitably and intricately linked. There are few realms of human experience other than sex in which religion has greater reach and influence. The role of religion, of any faith, to prohibit, regulate, condemn, and reward, is unavoidably prominent in questions of sex—namely with whom, when, how, and why. In Sex and Religion, Dag Øistein Endsjø examines the myriad and complex religious attitudes towards sex in cultures throughout the world. Endsjø reflects on some of the most significantly problematic areas in the relationship between sex and religion—from sex before or outside of marriage to homosexuality. Through many examples from world religions, he outlines what people mean by sex in a religious context, with whom it’s permissible to have sex, how sex can be a directly religious experience, and what consequences there are for deviance, for both the individual and society. As Endsjø explains, while Buddhist monks call attention to gay sex as a holy mystery, the Christian church questions a homosexual’s place in the church. Some religions may believe that promiscuity leads to hurricanes and nuclear war, and in others God condemns interracial marriage. Sex and Religion reveals there is nothing natural or self-evident about the ways in which various religions prescribe or proscribe and bless or condemn different types of sexuality. Whether sex becomes sacred or abhorrent depends entirely on how a religion defines it. Sex and Religion is a fascinating investigation of mores, meanings, rituals, and rules in many faiths around the globe, and will be of interest to anyone curious about the intersection of these fundamental aspects of human history and experience.

Exploring one of the most controversial topics in contemporary theology, this scholarly volume reveals what the world's great faiths—East and West—preach about sexuality, with a special emphasis on American religion. What do the world's most important religious texts have to say about one of humanity's favorite activities? Editors David W. Machacek and Melissa M. Wilcox have brought together top scholars in the field of religious studies to ask and answer these critical questions. Carefully researched, elegantly written, and respectfully presented, Sexuality and the World's Religions explores the intersection of the spiritual and the carnal in Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and African and Native American spiritual traditions. A separate section explores critical religious and sexual topics in American society, including the role of spirituality in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities; the role of sex in the modern witchcraft community; and the ever thorny problem of religion and sexual liberty. Reconciling sexuality and spirituality in every human soul is one of religion's most important tasks. Students and other readers will find this timely and comprehensive volume of interest in exploring these issues.

This new volume offers enlightening new perspectives on the roles of love, sex, and gender in different faiths and covers issues from gender politics to religious ecstasy.

Sex, The World History: Through Time, Religion, and Culture is a daring exploration of human sexuality, from the ancient to the modern world. Sex, The World History traces sexual attitudes from the transcendent to the bizarre throughout world cultures. Unmasked, are sexual practices and beliefs previously omitted or obscured from all historical telling. In a scathing condemnation of religion and its control of sex, the book explores the intricate dance between spirituality and sexuality. Revealed for the first time is a history of bisexuality in the majority of human cultures. Prior to Christianity, bisexual orientation was common in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Religions have controlled sex and gender orientation throughout time. The history of LGBTQ across the globe is illuminated here. How have women been exploited in sexual and cultural roles from prehistory to present day? How does religion affect women’s sexuality throughout time? The supremacy of the Mother Earth Goddess throughout most of human existence, and her relatively recent fall, have had drastic consequences for women’s sexual expression and identity. Other topics included are sex slavery and human trafficking, child brides, forced marriages, Roman Catholic abuses, war time sexual crimes, Victorian licentiousness, the evolution of sexual attitudes in North and South America, the sexual revolution of the counter culture. Offered here is an encyclopedic tour of the sexuality of humankind.

A unique exploration of sex and religion, covering a wide range of issues from marriage and celibacy, passion and love, to veiling, mystical union, and symbolism.