What do you think?
Ethics of Sex
Ethics of Sex, The by Thielicke, Helmut, tr. John W. Doberstein
338 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
About the author
Helmut Thielicke
170 books23 followersHelmut Thielicke (1908–1986) was a German Protestant theologian, pastor, author, and influential Christian thinker whose work explored the relationship between faith, ethics, culture, and modern life.
Born in Wuppertal, Germany, Thielicke studied philosophy and theology at the University of Erlangen, earning doctorates in both disciplines. His academic career developed during the increasingly hostile climate of Nazi Germany. A member of the Confessing Church, he faced repeated interrogation by the Gestapo and was eventually dismissed from his professorship in Heidelberg in 1940. Despite restrictions on his teaching, preaching, travel, and publishing, he continued to speak and write widely, becoming known for addressing Christian faith in language that engaged directly with the realities of ordinary life.
During the Second World War, Thielicke preached extensively and maintained contact with members of the German resistance, while also developing his vision for rebuilding Germany's intellectual and spiritual life after the war. His ideas contributed to the founding of the Evangelical Academy at Bad Boll in 1945.
After the war, Thielicke returned to academic life, first at the University of Tübingen and later at the University of Hamburg, where he helped establish a new theological faculty. He served as rector of the University of Hamburg from 1960 to 1978 and was also pastor of Hamburg's celebrated St. Michaelis church.
Thielicke became widely known beyond Germany through his books, sermons, lectures, and international travels. He lectured throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, meeting figures including Billy Graham and President Jimmy Carter.
His writing is noted for its combination of theological depth, philosophical reflection, and pastoral warmth. Rather than treating Christianity as an abstract system of ideas, Thielicke sought to explore what faith means in the midst of doubt, suffering, moral responsibility, culture, and everyday human experience.
He died in Hamburg in 1986, aged 77. His books remain valued by readers interested in Christian theology, ethics, philosophy, and the challenges of living out faith in the modern world.
Born in Wuppertal, Germany, Thielicke studied philosophy and theology at the University of Erlangen, earning doctorates in both disciplines. His academic career developed during the increasingly hostile climate of Nazi Germany. A member of the Confessing Church, he faced repeated interrogation by the Gestapo and was eventually dismissed from his professorship in Heidelberg in 1940. Despite restrictions on his teaching, preaching, travel, and publishing, he continued to speak and write widely, becoming known for addressing Christian faith in language that engaged directly with the realities of ordinary life.
During the Second World War, Thielicke preached extensively and maintained contact with members of the German resistance, while also developing his vision for rebuilding Germany's intellectual and spiritual life after the war. His ideas contributed to the founding of the Evangelical Academy at Bad Boll in 1945.
After the war, Thielicke returned to academic life, first at the University of Tübingen and later at the University of Hamburg, where he helped establish a new theological faculty. He served as rector of the University of Hamburg from 1960 to 1978 and was also pastor of Hamburg's celebrated St. Michaelis church.
Thielicke became widely known beyond Germany through his books, sermons, lectures, and international travels. He lectured throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, meeting figures including Billy Graham and President Jimmy Carter.
His writing is noted for its combination of theological depth, philosophical reflection, and pastoral warmth. Rather than treating Christianity as an abstract system of ideas, Thielicke sought to explore what faith means in the midst of doubt, suffering, moral responsibility, culture, and everyday human experience.
He died in Hamburg in 1986, aged 77. His books remain valued by readers interested in Christian theology, ethics, philosophy, and the challenges of living out faith in the modern world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 28, 2012
This book is a lot more than just sexual ethics. I saw this book on a book shelf and picked it up out of boredom. 3 hours later I paused reading only long enough to find myself a copy on Amazon.
No, it isn't titillating.
This is the most thoughtful contemplation of human beings as sexual creatures you will ever read.
I've read some philosophy of sex before. Unfortunately most intelligent writing on sex tends to be deconstructionist stuff that only discusses sex in terms of abuse, power, and various "isms." While that kind of discussion has it's place, it doesn't address the actual common experience of sex and sexual attraction.
As a Christian thinker Thielicke concludes that monogamous heterosexual marriage is the ethically proper context for sexuality. Unfortunately, I think this religious perspective has kept a larger audience from the best and most thoughtful discussion of human sexuality I have ever read. I imagine even gay polygamist atheists would find much to appreciate in this brilliant book.
The only time I have read such thoughtful reflection on the human sexual experience is in poetry, but while poetry is a vague medium Thielicke's discussion of sex is in the precise language of philosophy without losing sight of the fact that he is dealing with a deeply mysterious human experience.
No, it isn't titillating.
This is the most thoughtful contemplation of human beings as sexual creatures you will ever read.
I've read some philosophy of sex before. Unfortunately most intelligent writing on sex tends to be deconstructionist stuff that only discusses sex in terms of abuse, power, and various "isms." While that kind of discussion has it's place, it doesn't address the actual common experience of sex and sexual attraction.
As a Christian thinker Thielicke concludes that monogamous heterosexual marriage is the ethically proper context for sexuality. Unfortunately, I think this religious perspective has kept a larger audience from the best and most thoughtful discussion of human sexuality I have ever read. I imagine even gay polygamist atheists would find much to appreciate in this brilliant book.
The only time I have read such thoughtful reflection on the human sexual experience is in poetry, but while poetry is a vague medium Thielicke's discussion of sex is in the precise language of philosophy without losing sight of the fact that he is dealing with a deeply mysterious human experience.
March 8, 2019
This book was a mixed bag for me. Some sections are genuinely brilliant. Some I found to be incomprehensible, whether bogged down by the writing style or by what seemed to me to be a strange focus or emphasis by Thielicke. This book is very abstract which is sometimes what makes what he says so insightful, other times it makes it incomprehensible.
I think the section on contraception is really well done. The section on artificial insemination was a lot more interesting and insightful than I expected. Thielicke's emphasis on the union of eros and agape was quite good and I think perhaps one of the more helpful insights of this book.
I think that Thielicke overemphasizes the degree to which our context has fundamentally changed from that of the biblical authors and that this fatally hampers much of his theological analysis.
I think the section on contraception is really well done. The section on artificial insemination was a lot more interesting and insightful than I expected. Thielicke's emphasis on the union of eros and agape was quite good and I think perhaps one of the more helpful insights of this book.
I think that Thielicke overemphasizes the degree to which our context has fundamentally changed from that of the biblical authors and that this fatally hampers much of his theological analysis.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews