A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher PDF
Preview A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher
From Athena to Elizabeth I FI orence Night i nga I e Gandhi, & Cher U.S. $3o.oo This surprise bestseller from Canada traces the groups and individuals who are part of a timeless phenomenon that transcends culture and religion. J oan of Arc was one. So was Sir Isaac Newton. A monk vows to be one. A prisoner has no choice. History tells of many avowed celibates, and today’s society reflects a renewed interest in celibacy. But what caused—and still causes—people to give up sex, the very activity that drives, fascinates, trou¬ bles, and delights the rest of us? Elizabeth Abbott’s spirited and provocative exploration of celibacy debunks the traditionally held notion that celibacy is a predominantly religious concept of little concern to the secular world. With myriad examples, Ahbott’s lively histoiy reveals insights not only about our religious practices but also about our sexual desires and changing attitudes toward gender and physical health. From the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, who were entombed alive if they broke their vows, to contemporary athletes, who "conserve semen’’ to enhance their game, from celibacy as a guaran¬ tee for marriage to involuntary celibacy among prisoners, eunuchs, and young women cloistered against their will, Abbott puts a human face on celibacy, capturing the anguish of the castrated boy destined for an operatic career, the ecstasy of (continued on hack flap) T : 9 V Vi . if^: ..A ^f *r • ^ > > 4| ( 1 1 c ( 1 V,. Also by Elizabeth Abbott Haiti: The Duvaliers and Their Legacy Elizabeth Abbott SCRIBNER New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore SCRIBNER 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Elizabeth Abbott All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. First Scribner edition 2000 Originally published in Canada by HarperCollins Publishers, Ltd. SCRIBNER and design are trademarks of Macmillan Library Reference, USA, used under license by Simon & Schuster, the publisher of this work. DESIGNED BY ERICH ROBBING Set in Adobe Garamond Manufactured in the United States of America 13579 10 8642 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Abbott, Elizabeth. A history of celibacy : from Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher / Elizabeth Abbott. —1st Scribner ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Celibacy—History. I. Title. HQ800.15.A22 2000 306.73'2’09—dc21 99-087803 ISBN 0-684-84943-7 Excerpts from The Body and Society by Peter Brown, © 1988 Columbia University Press, are reprinted with the permission of the publisher. Excerpts from Church Fathers, Independent Virgins by Joyce E. Salisbury, Verso London 1991, are reprinted with the permission of the publisher. Excerpts from Ovid, “Amores,” in Diane J. Rayor and William W. Batshaw (Eds.), Latin Lyric and Elegiac Poetry: An Anthology of New Translations, Garland Publishing 1995, are reprinted with the permission of the publisher. Excerpts from Untold Sisters: Hispanic Nuns in their Own Works, Electa Arenal and Stacey Schau (Eds.) (translated by Amanda Powell), University of New Mexico Press 1989, are reprinted by permission of Electa Arenal. Excerpts from Three Plays by Aristophanes, translated by Jeffrey Henderson, Routledge 1996, are reprinted with the permission ofTaylor & Francis/Routledge, Inc. To Yves Fierre-Louis For his gift of precious friendship Through the best of times and the worst of times Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.0rg/details/historyofcelibacOOOOabbo
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