When Sex Was Religion

Evidence of the connection between sex and religion can be found in fertility cults in all nations of the past. When Sex Was Religion takes a comprehensive look at how sexual practices were originally considered a religion before the introduction of Christianity. Dr. Larry Falls, a registered clinical sexologist specializing in sexual abuse trauma and emotional health, spent five years traveling throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe learning about different religions, cultural history, and sexual behavior while working on his doctoral thesis. In his fascinating exploration into the beginning of human reason and the birth of religious thought includes the importance of reproduction, virgins and temple prostitutes, the original meaning of the cross, Devil worship, witches' Sabbath, and the curse of the evil eye. Dr. Falls also proves that the Kama Sutra, an ancient Hindu religious narrative about pleasure, love, and sexuality was really a Bible designed for the purpose of teaching others to gain favor from the gods by engaging in sexual intercourse. Dr. Falls' examination into sex worship demonstrates that phallic reverence was not only a religion, but also a cause for dominance and sexual exploitation that, to this day, remains part of our social structure.

Sex, Gender and the Sacred presents a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary collection of essays that explore the interlocking narratives of religion and gender encompassing 4,000 years of history. Contains readings relating to sex and religion that encompass 4,000 years of gender history Features new research in religion and gender across diverse cultures, periods, and religious traditions Presents multi-faith and multi-disciplinary perspectives with significant comparative potential Offers original theories and concepts relating to gender, religion, and sexuality Includes innovative interpretations of the connections between visual, verbal, and material aspects of particular religious traditions

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.

Issues relating to sexuality, eroticism and gender are often connected to religious beliefs and practices, but also to prejudices against and fear of religious groups that adopt alternative approaches to sexuality. This is especially apparent in connection with new religious movements, which many times find themselves accused by the media and anti-cultists of promoting illicit and controversial views on sexuality. This anthology aims to critically investigate the role of sexuality in a number of new religious movements, including Mormon fundamentalist communities, the Branch Davidians, the Osho movement, the Raël movement, contemporary Wicca and Satanism, in addition to the teachings of Adidam and Gurdjieff on sexuality.