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A Wild Constraint: The Case for Chastity
In A Wild Constraint: The Case for Chastity, Taylor addresses the provocative subject of celibacy. Too often considered an exclusively religious option, celibacy has been reclaimed by some feminists and sociologists over the last 20 years as a radical alternative in secular society to the liberal sexual lifestyle. What, after all, is sexual liberation when so often the outcome is pain and social chaos? In the context of promiscuity, sexual abuse and confusion, celibacy can herald a different sexual freedom. Jenny Taylor draws on personal experience and interviews with men and women of all ages to demonstrate the impact of the sexual revolution and to make a case for celibacy. She argues that celibacy is a viable alternative that deserves to be taken seriously and challenges the church to speak out for sexual abstinence with confidence and certainty.
166 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2008
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November 19, 2022
Books like this one are few and far between, but a really important contribution to the conversation in a sex-saturated culture where most people, Christians included, have lost sight of the honour and dignity of the celibate life.
Taylor's book is academic in style, so not everyone is going to find it readable. It also references material that some readers may find disturbing.
Something I'd love to see from this author is a more readable summary of her findings, aimed towards helping churches rediscover a way to honour celibate singles and teach about the value of abstinence without second guessing themselves.
(Side note: Taylor uses the term 'chastity'. I tend to prefer to talk about 'celibacy'. I feel that one makes too much of virginity in and of itself, whereas with the other it's not about whether or not one has ever 'fallen' but rather about how one chooses to live, even if one struggles or falls and has to get back up again.)
Bottom line: An important book, but not something that I'd recommend to most readers unless they're really keen on the topic and up to the challenges of this style of writing.
Taylor's book is academic in style, so not everyone is going to find it readable. It also references material that some readers may find disturbing.
Something I'd love to see from this author is a more readable summary of her findings, aimed towards helping churches rediscover a way to honour celibate singles and teach about the value of abstinence without second guessing themselves.
(Side note: Taylor uses the term 'chastity'. I tend to prefer to talk about 'celibacy'. I feel that one makes too much of virginity in and of itself, whereas with the other it's not about whether or not one has ever 'fallen' but rather about how one chooses to live, even if one struggles or falls and has to get back up again.)
Bottom line: An important book, but not something that I'd recommend to most readers unless they're really keen on the topic and up to the challenges of this style of writing.
Displaying 1 of 1 review