A History of Celibacy

by Elizabeth Abbott

s/t: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leornardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi and Cher
Readers who consider celibacy the exclusive domain of priests and nuns are in for a big surprise. Elizabeth Abbott's entertaining history traces over 3,000 years of sexual abstinence and illustrates how it has been practiced all over the world for a variety of reasons, both religious and secular. A History of Celibacy begins with the ancient Greek deities, Athena, Artemis, and Hestia, for whom celibacy was a means of liberation from traditional female servitude, and concludes with the present-day AIDS epidemic, a primary justification for the renewed call to celibacy. In between, Abbott, who dedicated eight years to this project, discovers fascinating examples of sexual abstinence, whether coerced or self-proclaimed, temporary or permanent. For example, celibacy enabled egalitarianism and female leadership for 18th-century Shakers, the Greek athlete enhanced athletic performance by conserving semen, and Shamans and Vodun priests to this day attain a state conducive to communicating with the spirits through short-term abstinence.

Abbott describes and analyzes over 120 instances of sexual abstinence, expertly illuminating the interrelation of detailed particulars with historical context and social norms. A bestseller in Canada, where Abbott serves as Dean of Women at Trinity College, A History of Celibacy neither advocates nor opposes the practice. Instead, Abbott, herself a converted celibate, emphasizes individual choice according to individual needs, drives, and desires. --Bertina Loeffler Sedlack

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Religion, Sociology, Microhistory, Relationships

496 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2000

About the author

http://globalnews.ca/video/1991145/do...

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Highly disappointing. Before having read this book I might have thought calling a book “deeply shallow” was silly, but that’s the only way to describe this book. The author has a lot to say about celibacy, and yet, she also has *nothing* to say about celibacy. This book has no thesis, it is about 400 odd pages of anecdotes and generalities about celibacy in different times and places, heavy emphasis on the Christian varieties, but just observation without argument. The most the author is willing to commit herself to about celibacy is that it exists. She alternates between clearly holding her nose while writing about some instances of celibacy, and treating the rest with a salacious Cracked.com “History’s 10 Weirdest Asexuals” angle. Also, it’s less cited than Cracked.com. The endnotes are is a mess.

The eunuch/castrato section is so unbelievably botched I can’t take her on good faith for any of the other historical areas. The non-Christian examples I am particularly concerned with, because I don’t feel she has done the depth of research required to have a fair cultural understanding, other than her own culture perhaps, but that I’m even leery about.

As a bonus: while claiming the forward and the endword to be completely neutral on celibacy, in the end chapter she did not bother to disguise her contempt for celibacy decisions made at Vatican II.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was another book by this author that I wanted to read instead of this one, but my library system only had A History of Celibacy, so I thought I'd check it out. I wish that I could give this book 3.5 stars instead of 3. I liked it, but not enough to give it 4 stars. However, 3 stars really doesn't do it justice. It's definitely a 3.5.

At times, the book, which is heavily researched, can be a little "textbooky". I liked the chapters that dealt with real people from history (Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, etc.) as opposed to the chapters that talked about general time periods and how people lived then. The book talks about celibacy and why some people are celibate. The reasons vary: religion, disease, exaltation of virginity, sexual orientation.

I bookmarked a lot of pages in this book because there were some very interesting quotes and tidbits of information. A lot of the research in this book seems to say that men have such a hard time abstaining from sex. Women, by being women, are such temptresses. Oh, those poor men. I think much of the book can be summed up in this one passage from page 118: "In the tradition of the early Fathers, who wrote that 'sin came from a woman, but salvation through a virgin,' these men revered virgins but hated women."

[DW Rowlands · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally found time to read this book after it had spent six years on my bookshelf, and I was pretty disappointed. It seemed more a four-hundred-page collection of anecdotes than a well-organized and coherent summary of the topic, and certainly didn't do a particularly good job of convincing me of its reliability, given the lack of proper citations and the sensationalist portrayal of some topics.

[EricheBooks]

DNF. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

[Tony Gualtieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and poignant story of human deprivation. This is a surprisingly deep study that shows celibacy to be debilitating, neurotic, and at times empowering.

[Svalbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immaginavo che questo fosse un saggio sulle ragioni, antropologiche e psicologiche, della castità, intesa come uso sociale o come scelta personale. In realtà il libro tiene pienamente fede al suo titolo, “storia della…” ed è un voluminoso, interessantissimo ed esauriente compendio della castità in tutte le forme e gli aspetti in cui ha preso forma nel corso del tempo. C’è, ovviamente, la castità predicata e agita in ambito religioso, da parte dei padri della Chiesa e da altre figure analoghe nelle religioni non cristiane. C’è la castità prematrimoniale, alla quale non sempre fa seguito una castità post-matrimoniale (ad esempio, tra ebrei e musulmani un matrimonio vissuto senza sessualità è una cosa priva di senso; sessualità, si badi bene, anche a livello ludico, non solo riproduttivo); ci sono infinite altre forme di castità, scelta, agita o imposta nei più vari modi. Molte pagine sono dedicate, ad esempio, alla castrazione, alla pratica di produrre uomini asessuati (a volte, incredibilmente, per loro stessa scelta) per avere funzionari fedeli e le cui attività professionali nelle vicinanze dei poteri più alti non fossero deviate dal desiderio di favorire interessi personali e familiari; o, semplicemente, per diventare cantanti abili e ricercati nei teatri europei. In altre si parla delle terrificanti pratiche dell’infibulazione, “chiudere” le ragazze o asportare loro gli organi sessuali esterni togliendo loro la possibilità di provare piacere sessuale e garantendone in questo modo la loro “purezza”. Ci sono, e sono forse una delle parti più curiose e interessanti del libro, numerosi casi di castità scelta e agita, soprattutto da parte di donne, come viatico verso una libertà che come mogli e madri non avrebbero avuto, costrette in ruoli che sistematicamente le escludevano dallo studio, dal lavoro intellettuale e da attività generalmente riservate agli uomini. I conventi del Medio Evo e delle età successive non erano solo, per dire, luoghi dove si rinchiudevano fanciulle riluttanti per fare in modo che il patrimonio familiare rimanesse indiviso, ma anche spazi dove donne per nulla desiderose di vivere “da donne” trovavano una loro agognata libertà. Lo stesso facevano le “beghine”, che erano ben altro dalle donne bigotte e retrograde a cui questa parola viene impropriamente accostata, le quali però vivevano la loro castità nel mondo e in comunità aperte da cui potevano entrare e uscire quando volevano (e infatti non erano viste di buon occhio da parte dei poteri ecclesiastici dato che su di esse non potavano esercitare troppi controlli). In tempi più recenti, lo stesso accadde nell’Inghilterra vittoriana, dove donne desiderose di fare cose “da uomini” - esercitare professioni intellettuali, vivere da sole, ecc. - pagarono volentieri il prezzo della castità per non essere considerate donne di malaffare, al punto che la castità era diventata un cavallo di battaglia delle protofemministe dell’epoca, uno strumento per affrancarsi dal sistema di potere maschilista. Intanto, negli USA, si diffondevano i cosiddetti “matrimoni bostoniani” (dal titolo di un romanzo, “Le bostoniane”) in cui coppie di donne creavano tra loro legami strettissimi - e casti - e vi trovavano dimensioni e realizzazioni che un rapporto con un uomo e gli obblighi sociali del matrimonio non avrebbero dato loro. Una di loro, inaspettatamente, è la scrittrice e naturalista Rachel Carson, autrice del bellissimo libro “Il mare intorno a noi”, unico saggio scientifico, a mia conoscenza, che sia mai stato pubblicato dagli Struzzi Einaudi e che ho recensito nella mia libreria. Il titolo, si scopre in una corrispondenza, è una sorta di allusione alla sua compagna e alla loro relazione. Altre parti del libro sono dedicate a grandi figure storiche di castità: Giovanna d’Arco, Elisabetta I, Teresa d’Avila, Florence Nightingale. Tutti personaggi che non avrebbero potuto essere quello che furono se fossero state “donne sessuate”. Sul fronte maschile, interessantissimo il capitolo su Gandhi, il quale, in una tradizione del pensiero orientale basata sulla rinuncia a tutto quello che è sensorialmente forte (anche, per dire, i cibi speziati) intesa come valore, ha ritenuto anche il sesso un fatto tranquillamente evitabile, cosa che gli ha permesso di ottenere un immenso ascendente politico sulla sua gente. Peccato che però, oltre questo o forse proprio per questo, era anche un manipolatore emotivo ed affettivo piuttosto ripugnante. Si citano anche casi di “castità patologica”, quella di persone costrette alla castità per paura della sessualità, dovuta ai più vari motivi (ad esempio Kafka), o per nascondere pericolosissime perversioni, come Lewis Carroll o Leonardo da Vinci; o quella obbligata dei carcerati. Non si parla, invece, di un altro tipo di castità, quella coatta di persone libere che non riescono a trovare un partner con cui dar sfogo alle proprie voglie e non vogliono ricorrere al sesso mercenario; ma la cosa non stupisce. Essa pare infatti continuare ad essere anche nel nostro mondo evoluto e libertino un argomento piuttosto tabù, in merito al quale, più che interrogarsi, si danno al massimo risposte pratiche come tecniche e manuali di seduzione. Gli ultimi capitoli del libro sono dedicati alle forme “contemporanee” della castità: quella obbligata ma assolutamente anacronistica dei sacerdoti e di monaci e monache della Chiesa cattolica, messa in discussione da movimenti interni della Chiesa stessa già da decenni - non lo sapevo - e con corollari curiosissimi, tipo pastori anglicani, ovviamente sposati, che, schifati dal fatto che la Chiesa anglicana avesse aperto il sacerdozio alle donne, chiesero ed ottennero di essere integrati nella Chiesa cattolica conservando il loro matrimonio (dal che si deduce che per la Chiesa cattolica un prete sposato è più accettabile di un prete donna). Poi, ancora, la nuova castità come scelta agita dai componenti di movimenti giovanili come “true love waits” o anche da altre persone meno giovani, che in essa trovano un sollievo dallo stress da competizione e da prestazione sessuale a cui la società occidentale contemporanea sembra invariabilmente spingere. Rimane comunque in piedi una domanda: perché la castità è considerata una virtù? Come abbiamo visto, non è scopo di questo libro cercare di rispondervi, e infatti lo fa solo occasionalmente e marginalmente. Allora provo io a dare delle risposte ipotetiche, ricorrendo alle poche nozioni antropologiche e psicologiche che conosco. Castità significa controllo delle nascite. Un modo piuttosto estremo di fare in modo che nascessero meno bambini; ma questa idea si scontra col fatto che i figli, nell’antichità, facevano lo stesso servizio che fa oggi l’INPS, ovvero erano indispensabili alla sopravvivenza dei genitori ormai anziani. In tempi in cui i bambini morivano come mosche, era così virtuoso fare meno figli? Talvolta, nel mondo cristiano, si viveva una percezione di imminenza della fine del mondo; in tale contesto la perpetuazione della specie veniva considerata superflua, anzi c’era una certa tendenza al “cupio dissolvi”. Questo potrebbe spiegare la cosa. Peraltro, il libro parla di comunità tribali che, consapevoli della scarsità di risorse naturali sufficienti a nutrire un elevato numero di figli, limitano le nascite con una castità rituale e istituzionalizzata. il sesso si fa con quelle stesse parti del corpo con cui si fa pipì e pupù. E dato che le attività fecali sono generalmente collegate ad un’idea di schifo e di disgusto, salvo perversioni, anche l’attività sessuale, per un fatto di contiguità, ha teso ad essere considerata una perversione. Almeno in ambito maschile, Il sesso è antropologicamente collegato all’idea di potere (e di denaro, che è simbolo del potere): molto potere = molto sesso. Rinunciare al sesso, significa rinunciare al fine ultimo di tutti quegli impegni mondani che al loro estremo portavano e portano competizione, prevaricazioni, guerre, rapine, ladrocinii e molte altre cose negative. Quindi, in ultima istanza, rinunciare al sesso potrebbe avere dei risvolti pacifisti, alla faccia del “fate l’amore non fate la guerra” degli hippies. (Questo, beninteso, come pia intenzione; molti psicosessuologi possono spiegare che un’astinenza forzata, magari condita da sensi di colpa ecc, può al contrario portare a disturbi della personalità piuttosto importanti e a una sessualità pericolosamente deviata). Il sesso sottrae tempo ed energie ad altre cose socialmente apprezzate: il dialogo con il divino o con il soprannaturale, lo studio, il lavoro, eccetera; cose di cui la società ha bisogno per conservarsi o progredire. Questo darebbe ragione all’idea freudiana che quasi tutto è una sublimazione della sessualità: non voglio o non posso fare sesso, allora mi impegno nel lavoro o in qualsiasi altra cosa e in qualche modo trasferisco lì i successi e le gratificazioni che mi mancano nella sfera sessuale. Il problema è che la “qualsiasi altra cosa”, per quanto socialmente apprezzata, non è altro che un mediocre surrogato della sessualità, la quale, piaccia o no, rimane il fine ultimo della vita, dato che è l’unico strumento con cui la specie può perpetuarsi. Da Origene a Tiziano Terzani, di solito quelli che predicano la castità sono persone vecchie e (sedicenti) sagge ed esperte, e si rivolgono ai giovani con la sicumera di sapere tutto e aver capito tutto: il sesso è illusione, il mondo è vacuità, eccetera. Non sarà che tutta la loro saggezza, condita da una certa quale invidia, non sia dovuta sostanzialmente ad altro che ad ormoni latitanti per sopraggiunti limiti di età? Qualunque persona che,almeno una volta nella vita, ha fatto del sesso di buona qualità, sa che il sesso dà eccome felicità e pienezza esistenziale, e anche un benessere che non sparisce tre secondi dopo. Questa è facile: spesso sono solo le donne che hanno l’impegno di mantenersi caste e pure. Giusto, perché una vita sessuale libera e selvaggia farebbe venir meno il loro carattere di proprietà privata di padri, fratelli e mariti, e la certezza che i geni propagati nella riproduzione siano effettivamente i loro...

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review from July 2001, basically cut and pasted from my Everything2 writeup from back in the day:

This is a really interesting book. The author, a journalist, historian, and Dean of Women at Trinity College, University of Toronto, presents a historical survey of celibacy, chastity, and sexual abstinence which suggests that these practices have been and continue to be part of every human culture. She provides examples from mythology and literature as well as discussion of beliefs and attitudes about these facets of sexuality --- for, as her book makes clear, celibacy (technically the state of being unmarried, but today used interchangeably with chastity, the state of abstaining from sexual intercourse) is as much a part of human sexual variation as heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, monogamy, polyamory, transgender sexuality, and their less well-known or acknowledged cousins.

I was particularly intrigued by Abbott's presentation of celibacy as a lifestyle choice, especially for women. Historically, celibacy was often a woman's only alternative to marriage and motherhood, and some women pursued it as an avenue to education and other privileges that transcended those traditionally available to their sex. Although many women were forced into celibacy for lack of a better alternative, those who chose it often found their decision an empowering one --- one need only think of Rome's Vestal Virgins, Joan of Arc, and England's Elizabeth I for examples of powerful celibate women (although, in the case of Elizabeth, the strict definition of celibacy should probably be applied). It is important to note that celibacy did not provide perfect protection for its adherents: this is clearly illustrated by the case of Joan of Arc, who was eventually burned at the stake as a witch for, among other things, her refusal to wear women's clothes. Celibate or no, women could only transcend their gender so far. Still, for many, celibacy seems to have been the best approximation of liberation around.

Abbott's discussion is a bit heavy on the relationship between Christianity and celibacy compared to her analysis of other faiths, but that is to be expected, given her personal background as a Christian. Likewise, her examination of non-Western celibacy leaves something to be desired, but again, that's pretty typical given the resources readily available to Western academics. Her facts seemed pretty solid, except for one instance of spurious statistics, and her bibliography is extensive and intriguing.

I came away from A History of Celibacy having learned a great deal about sex and early Christianity, as well as the aforementioned empowering aspect of celibacy as a choice. Abbott's later chapters, which discuss modern celibacy- and chastity-related social phenomena such as what she terms the "Power Virgin" movement, made me think back to discussions of erotophobia and erotophilia in my psychology of gender and sexuality class, and in particular their implications for sex ed, virginity pledges, the True Love Waits/Born Again Virgin movement, and so on. Most of all, however, I found myself wishing for a world in which all sexual choices, celibate or otherwise, were as well thought-out and empowering to their adherents as the author's depiction of her own celibacy and that of others.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was totally fascinating and I recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about human sexuality from a very different approach, that of abstinence. The author researched the stories of people from all over the world and in different cultures and eras, who, for whatever reason, have chosen or been forced into a life of celibacy.

In many instances the choice of celibacy makes perfect sense - for example the women who chose convent life over the drudgery of being a wife and mother (and potentially being in an abusive relationship) and the dangers of childbirth, and then there are those that chose abstinence to avoid the dangers of disease (particularly in the AIDS era) as well as those that choose it to avoid a broken heart.

But what was most fascinating was how the control of sexuality through celibacy and abstinence has been used to control people (and property - one of the reasons Catholic priests were not allowed to marry was that the Church did not want their heirs to claim Church property), often against their will and particularly in regards to religion. Certainly celibacy in no way has meant, for the majority of practitioners, an asexual attitude!

For much of history, attitudes towards sex have seemed to stem from misogyny and much of Abbott's research showed me how the double standard which we still struggle with today has been entrenched for thousands of years. Much of historical anti-sex sentiment (particularly when not for purposes of procreation within a marriage) has been based on the premise of women as evil temptresses and men with no control. Society still struggles with this unhealthy attitude towards sexuality, hence the high school dress code stories that come up from time to time and the blame put on the victim in rape cases.

Once again, totally fascinating reading and it certainly provides the reader with some missing in puzzle pieces in learning about human sexuality.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

this pop read sucks my dick and just offers some dumb funfacts about celibacy, no deeper analysis.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough compilation of research on nearly all aspects of celibacy including non-Western traditions. (Now I know why some Hindu gods are portrayed with bulging heads.) It also describes many non-religious forms of celibacy for various compelling reasons and scenarios. The only downside of this book is its lack of plates, which would have been particularly helpful in the section on eunuchs. (I had to look up some diagrams because sometimes it means everything is removed and sometimes it's just the testicles.) Now for some interesting anecdotes I can't forget.

In tenth century China becoming a eunuch was an extreme career opportunity. There was a little hut outside the palace where a government-approved castrator would bathe the genitals in hot pepper-water then ask the (restrained) client "Will you regret it or not?" Any hesitation meant no castration, so after getting a negative response the parts were lopped off. While the client was suffering through the healing process for the next few days the castrator preserved their parts. Then when the client requested their return the castrator would sell them back for up to eight times the cost of the procedure. (Talk about giving away razors to sell blades.) Of course, the new eunuch had to buy his parts back and typically paid in installments after the palace hired him (assuming he survived the hundred days healing period). If their parts were ever lost or stolen, then they'd have to buy or rent someone else's to continue working at the palace. (pages 321-322)

In modern Thailand over one hundred vengeful women have drugged their unfaithful husbands before castrating them. Authorities consider this problem so serious they have created a Penis Patrol that is summoned whenever a new victim awakes to discover his loss. The Penis Patrol then scours the nearby area racing against time to rush it to the hospital for reattachment. "Often they locate it, but one enraged wife fooled them by attaching her husband's penis to a helium balloon to ensure he'd never get it back". (page 337)

[rené lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Acknowledgements section, the author writes it took her nearly eight years to research and write this book, which is exactly how many years it felt like it took for me to finish it. My co-worker has asked me no less than three times, "Are you STILL reading that book?!" It was incredibly dense, like some pricey artisan bread at Whole Foods that requires ten-minutes of chewing per bite.

Although it might seem like I hated this book, I actually found it fascinating. It was intriguing to read the ways celibacy was wielded as a weapon, a punishment, or a way to freedom by people throughout history. I especially liked the emphasis there was on separating the reasons behind celibacy in various religious ideologies.

It's not a light read, although there are some bawdy portions as a book on an aspect of sexuality is expected to have. I recommend it to those that like history, especially on odd topics.

[Benjamin John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A overview of the history of Celibacy throughout the world with a focus on Western Christendom. I would have liked to see more depth though this would have required an excessively long book. It's a good overview of the topic but the grouping and subgrouping of topics might prevent a larger thesis from developing.

The last chapter is problematic however; it lacks interrogation of modern evangelical-style teen celibacy which within two decades has already proven incredibly problematic and Abbott's newly adopted celibacy facilitates a very propagandist approach to the new celibacy. While this positive slant to female celibacy previously serves as a lense to examine communal female liberation from patriarchy, it becomes uncritical of an unsystematic and highly individualistic lifestyle choice.

[Hell Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dry read and suitable for those who enjoy history (hence, the title "A History..."); it had taken me longer than usual to finish the piece due to its textbook-like nature. However, I gave this book four-stars because it's well written and the writer's tone is neutral. The writing is completely unbiased and it is organized via reasons for celibacy (as you will witness in each of the chapters' titles). I'm not equipped to say whether this is the best book on the topic of celibacy since this is the first book I had encountered and read that specifically focus on this topic. But I will say that this book is an essentially read for women; it's easy to take our rights for granted, especially as a person living in the States, when there are still so much more work to be done.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither for nor against celibacy, this book is a fairly comprehensive Western history of the phenomenon and the famous people who adopted the practice. The cultural impact of celibacy is still felt today and even though the non-Western aspects of the book are not well developed, I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

[moth · Rating 3 out of 5]

much more of a slog than i thought it would be, although it was funny when my coworkers would ask what i was reading. as many other reviews mention, feels much more like a collection of anecdotes than anything else. the citations are a mess, and as an academic i always wish books like these opted for footnotes instead of putting references in the back. meh

[Jenine Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty dense book that took me a while to get through. It was interesting enough that I continued to pick it back up. My biggest criticism is the fact that chapters repeated information from others as though they were meant to be read independently.

[Fiona Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I’m more interested in the idea of hysteria on this issue.
This is a good, accurate book on celibacy though, but I agree on the other reviews where people say this is pretty much a glance over the topic. It lay out points of history, but didn’t do a deep dive into drive or anything taboo.

[E. Ritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I read very slowly because of a book project I am in.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

And like a medicine bottle in my hand, I will hold you

[YoSafBridg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her book, A History of Celibacy: from Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, & Cher, Canadian, Elizabeth Abbott purports to trace the groups and individuals who are part of a timeless phenomenon that transcends culture and religion; but it seemed from her introduction that she had a tendency to accept common wisdom as fact which i found just a bit tedious, and it seemed to throw much of the otherwise highly interesting subject matter into debate. I learned many things, and came up with many items that i wanted to research further~but even though i love her voice and tone, and she does have many, many anecdotes to tell, i'm not sure how much authority to give her (then again~can i quote all the sources for the "facts" i have swimming around in my mind~the ones i read, more than one place, but somewhere, i can quote some of them, but not all~and what authority do i give them?).

The history starts off with classical antiquity (what Abbot calls Divine Pagan Celibacy), moves on through early and later Christianity (which rather predictably~or not? seems to deify celibacy and defile sexuality), with a quick overview of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the ritual celibacy of shamans and the virgin Priestesses of the South Americans (apparently Judaism and Islam have no such celibate traditions~except pre-marital).

Beyond religion Abbott covers other interesting territory with various abstenance campaigns and "scientific" theories. She also discusses enforced celibacy both external forces and those that may be more internal. I'm not sure i'm willing to buy into the legend that Elizabeth I remained a virgin throughout her lifetime as Abbott seems to (though, as she points out, assignations would be particularly difficult to hide in the royal court of the day).
Celibacy, of course, has always meant different things to different people~for some it is avoiding the very thought of anything to do with the human body~including avoiding touching oneself~even to wash, to others only the act of carnal penetration (any Clintonites out there?) really counts. I lie somewhere in between... I learned a few things, vestal virgins only committed to thirty years not a lifetime (as if that were a HUGE difference), lost some respect for Gandhi (he was definitely a "player"~using women emotionally if not physically~and is one sin so very much worse than the other???), and overall found the book quite interesting.

One of the more interesting aspects of some celibacy campaigns (and very few at that), at least to my mind, is the oppurtunity afforded by celibacy for self-discovery: the idea that when one lets go of sex, and the drive for sex a whole new world opens up and you realize how much more there is to life. It seems to me in reading this book, though, that many celibacy advocates are still limited by sex, still seeing the world through the sex-drive. I find it slightly ironic in fact, that the very subject of celibacy itself is all about sexuality~but then again~how to get away from that?

This was one of those gems that i discovered whilst weeding~it came up on my list because it hadn't circulated in over two years, and it looked interesting to me~at least now that i've checked it out i've saved it for another cycle or so...
http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blo...

[Avril · Rating 4 out of 5]

A History of Celibacy is well worth reading by anyone interested not only in celibacy, but also in the way that women, in particular, have dealt with a world that has various unhealthy attitudes to sexuality. As Abbot writes in her conclusion, a lot of the Christian understandings of celibacy have been based on misogyny - and yet many women have found chosen celibacy freeing and empowering.

Abbot covers continents and centuries in her history, everything from Rome's vestal virgins to Kellogg's cornflakes (created as a non-sexually stimulating food) to the unwilling celibates of the AIDS era. Obviously, the breadth of this history means it often lacks depth, and Abbot draws strongly on the work of other historians, but the notes enable readers interested in particular eras and issues to go further. As a survey based on secondary sources A History of Celibacy is excellent.

The conclusion of this survey is that voluntary celibacy is empowering and liberating; imposed celibacy is frustrating and oppressive. This would be equally challenging to products of the sexual revolution who believe that sexual expression is compulsory for healthy adulthood, the Catholic Church that forces celibacy on its religious, and political conservatives who believe that sex can only take place within marriage.

On a personal note, my own choice of celibacy has been supported by this history. I am one of the many, many women throughout history who have found joy, liberation and empowerment in celibacy.

[Sophie Polyankina · Rating 5 out of 5]

№18. Любимый жанр.

Очень люблю науч.поп.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Instead of weaving a narrative out of the interesting and rich subject, the author wrote a sort of encyclopedia of celibacy, with more or less dry anecdotes about different ways people have been celibate throughout history. Gets kind of old after a while, especially when I knew so many of the stories before. I did like a few of the anecdotes (like the one about Catarina de Siena) but it wasn't quite enough to make this 500-page book worthwhile.

I rather liked the introduction and the epilogue, which are the two parts where the author has really used her voice (instead of trying to be objective) and talked about her personal experience of celibacy and her thoughts as a Christian on all the Church stuff she had to research for the book. I would have liked the book so much more if it was all like that.

[Emma Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abbott's blog is written in a much more engaging style than this book.

As other reviewers have noted, the shallowness makes this more of an encyclopedia of celibacy, and I would have liked references throughout.

Out of the whole thing, though, you know what utterly captivated me? Re virginity testing: "a virgin's cervix might have been dilated if, for example, she had inserted her finger into it to soothe an internal itch" (p. 356)

O_O

Um, do not want.

I've never heard of inserting one's finger into one's cervix. Through it. To itch.

Gah! I'm all kinds of freaked out right now. And possibly very, very ignorant.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celibacy is not a theme much touched on in modern times. While some scholastic institutions advocate teaching teenagers abstinence, it is not necessarily synonymous as virginity. Celibacy can be for someone who has had tons of sex or none at all and the reasons are as varied as the people who make them. Celibacy—not merely a matter for the people in the clergy—is explored in this book throughout history and between the sexes. As a matter of sexual, moral, political interest, the author of this book left no stone unturned inher exploration of this peculiar subject. A most beguiling subject.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly FASCINATING! I purchased this, completely by accident, the day before Valentine's Day a couple years ago, and didn't even realize the charming irony until I found myself completely lost in it on the day itself. It looks at a subject that's frequently dismissed as dry, dull, and non-erotic and shows how complex, interesting, and actually quite sexy it really is! There are disappointingly few books on the subject, even though the conscientious decision not to cultivate a typically sexual identity has been REALLY important in history. I definitely recommend, it's immediately engrossing.

[Katie Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In today’s world where we spend a majority of our time being exposed to sex whether through popular culture, advertising, or online dating apps, it’s easy to think of celibacy as something restricted to the past or the very religious. In her book however, Abbott traces the fascinating history of celibacy from biblical times through to the present day looking at the way that abstaining from sex has been used to both control and empower people.

Read Full Review: https://mybookbagblog.wordpress.com/2...

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful, exhaustive but never exhausing hisory of celibacy both forced and chosen.

"Sainthood was that era's ( 1350-1500) great challenge, akin to aspiring to the Olympics or a Nobel Prize today. For women severly limed in vocations other than drudging laboror motherhood, the stretch to being the very best practicioner of religion was appealing, expecialy to highly intelligent perfectionists..."

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is an interesting book. it is not a work of genius scholarship. abbott aims to catalogue the various motivations for celibacy throughout time and space, and to make it accessible. as far as i can tell, she does all right in this. i'd have preferred to read a book with more research citations and analytical arguments.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book *years* ago and skimmed it but never READ it. Now I am reading it!

November 2009: Finished! This might not have been a good choice to read cover to cover, as it did get a bit repetitive, but it was very interesting!

Parts I found the most interesting:
-Vestal Virgins
-unconsummated marriages (especially that of John Ruskin and Effie Gray)