A History of CelibacyWhat 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. |
Contents
Authors Note | 13 |
Divine Pagan Celibacy | 23 |
Vestal Virgins | 38 |
Early Christianity | 47 |
Female Transvestite Monks | 76 |
Bearded Female Saints | 82 |
Later Christianity | 99 |
Martin Luther on Nocturnal Emissions | 105 |
Celibacy as Womanly Duty | 257 |
Abstaining in a Good Cause | 293 |
Coerced Celibacy | 303 |
Celibacy to Repress Unconventional | 339 |
Impotent Celibacy | 353 |
Celibacy in Literature | 363 |
The New Celibacy | 375 |
The Power Virgins | 394 |
Apostolic Women | 114 |
Brides of Christ | 121 |
Hildegard of Bingen Frowns on Fasting | 127 |
Committed Sisters | 133 |
Shotgun Celibacy | 140 |
Other Major Religions and Rites | 163 |
Celibacy to Conserve Semen | 197 |
The Power of Semen in Sports | 208 |
Female Celibacy Transcends Gender | 231 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstinence acllas AIDS Anchee Min ascetic asceticism athletes became Beguines birth body Boston marriage brahmacharya bride Buddhism carnal castration Catherine Catholic celibate century chaste chastity belt child Christ Christian Church Fathers clerical celibacy cloisters commitment convent culture daughter death despite disease double standard erotic eunuchs Father Divine female forced Gandhi gender genitals girls Greek heart hijras Hindu Hinduism holy homosexuality human husband Ibid impotence Indian Jainism Joan John Kateri later lesbians lifestyle lives London lovers lust main sources male marriage married Mary masturbation Medieval monasteries monks moral mutilated naditus never nuns parents passion percent physical premarital priests prostitution purity relationships religion religious renounce ritual semen sexual abstinence sexual activity sexual intercourse sexual relations Shakers shaman sisters social society spiritual tion trans True Love Waits unchaste University Press vestal vestal virgins victims virginity vows widows wife wives women York young