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A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher
 
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A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Abbott (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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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

From Library Journal

Celibacy: it's not just a matter of religious conviction, argues the dean of women at Trinity College.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, Jun 17 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher (Hardcover)
When I first stumbled on this book, I was curious as to what the author meant by a history of celibacy. After all, don't almost all of us want to know about quite the opposite? So I read the book. I was absolutely enthralled with this book. I think Abbott's style is quite readable and the subject matter is fascinating. I would definitely recommend this book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars At last - a proper look at celibacy, Sep 3 2000
This review is from: A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher (Hardcover)
Well researched and well written, this is a book I would have liked to have written myself -- so I read it with great pleasure. A sensitive but searching investigation into what can be a joyful sexual choice or a bitter deprivation. Read this. It's good. It's not just another "self help" blather. It's a real book.
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3.0 out of 5 stars Nice overview, but spotty scholarship, July 12 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher (Hardcover)
It's a bit hard to take her discussion of the Shakers seriously considering she does not consult the scholarly work of Louis J. Kern. His penetrating insights would have illuminated this portion of her book further. Otherwise, this book does give the reader a sense of why one would become celibate in a certain place and at a certain time.
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