Editorial Review

In a country where the average woman is 5-foot-4 and weighs 140 pounds, movies, advertisements, and MTV saturate our lives with unrealistic images of beauty. The tall, nearly emaciated mannequins that push the latest miracle cosmetic make even the most confident woman question her appearance. Feminist Naomi Wolf argues that women's insecurities are heightened by these images, then exploited by the diet, cosmetic, and plastic surgery industries. Every day new products are introduced to "correct" inherently female "flaws," drawing women into an obsessive and hopeless cycle built around the attempt to reach an impossible standard of beauty. Wolf rejects the standard and embraces the naturally distinct beauty of all women. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

a feminist classic
This book should be required reading for all freshmen girls. Even if you don't agree with its central premise or find its style infuriating this is something you should be talking and thinking about, especially as our culture increasingly sexualises young girls at earlier and earlier ages.

The Unattainable Aim to Become a Mannequin
The fashion industry is a 100 billion dollar a year industry, just in the United States!The cultural programmers, advertisers, and marketing psychologists have devoted much time, money, and brainpower into the problem of turning people into consumers - of how to make people feel "not right" unless they buy the consumer goods marketed to make them "feel right".And of course, the goal of becoming a plastic mannequin is unrealistic and unattainable, thereby ensuring that billions will continue to be spent in trying to attain the unattainable.
The sisterhood has a bible!
I was so excited to read this book. Women, we've been looking for the enemy in all the wrong places. The enemy is smeared on our faces every morning and wiped off at night. The enemy is brand name clothing that only comes in sizes 0-4. The enemy is getting richer and more powerful every day that we fail to acknowledge it. I wish this book could be required reading for women in America- sort of a rite of womanhood. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feminine beauty (Aesthetics)    2. Femininity    3. Feminism & Feminist Theory    4. Gender Studies    5. Sex role    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Social Science / Women's Studies   

Reviews (3)

Great Book for All People
I'm a gay white male and I loved this book! Collins does an amazing job presenting her compelling thesis, and I continue to thank Sociology in general for being the most daring, critical-thinking academic discipline ever. It's no surprise sociologists like Collins dare to speak out on gay rights issues (see her section on homophobia/heterosexism) - sociology is the only area of thought that consistently questions the status quo. In a day in age where so many (though by no means all!) African-American (heterosexuals) are horribly anti-gay and increasingly pro-greed/pro-capitalism, Collins stands out as a heroine for all peoples. I am still waiting for an openly gay hip-hop artist!! How cool would that be? I recommend this book to absolutely anyone. Five stars!

Inspired
Patricia Hill Collins exemplifies a practitioner's and theorist's point of view on black feminism as it relates to Africa American and our African sisters. She references critical and inspiring data and quotes from a varied repetoire of authors, historians, and philosophers. The author explains the context and format of her subject upon initial reading.This book also draws commonalities among the issues and concerns among African American women and our international sisterhood (i.e., African, Carribean, etc.,)It illustrates the social and cultural values among all groups, the commonalities among the values while focusing on the African American feminist aspect.This is a must read for any person, be it woman or not, African American or other.It brings about a social and cultural understanding that is pertinent to the "holonomy" of understanding and appreciating varied cultural, social and historical values and experiences while commencing to the building of community. Please add this title to your collection of literature.You won't be disappointed; if for nothing more than to open your world to receive another perspective.

Insightful
Collins'analysis of black feminism is an enlightening piece of literature that forces its readers to chanllenge main stream assumptions and discover the underlying mechanisms of racism and sexism in America. To create thiseffect, she uses a range of feminist perspectives form the calm subtletiesof Angela Davis to the slightly boisterous philosopy of Bell Hooks.Nevertheless, by displaying these perspectives equally Collins shows thatthe struggle for equally is not an individual struggle but one thatrequires collectively.This book is intensely thought provoking and it isguaranteed to give its readers profound insight into black feminism. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African American women    2. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    3. Feminism    4. Feminism & Feminist Theory    5. Race relations    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Women's Studies - General    10. Black studies    11. Social Science / Sociology / General    12. Social groups & communities    13. USA   

Reviews (8)

Unequivically biased
Unfortunately I bought this book hoping that it would uncover more historical data and the actual works of Veronica Franco translated by a scholar in the field.
A difficult tome
After seeing "Dangerous Beauty" I became curious about the distinctive life style of Renaissance Venice, and hoped to learn a lot more.This book was just a bit too dry and scholarly for casual reading.A great deal of space is used for both the Italian and English translations, which must be interesting to some readers.Although Veronica comes across as intelligent, determined and brave, I would have wished to know more about her and her society in terms of food, clothing, houses, daily activities, etc.Perhaps not enough is known about Veronica herself, but I would hope that a gifted author somewhere could make her story into a novel and breathe some warmth and life into her legend.

5 star history; 2 star read
This book is a must read if you're interested in 16th century Venice, Veronica Franco, or the world of the famous Venetian courtesans. It's also an EXTREMELY dry read. The book is quite obviously a doctoral dissertation, and could have used an edit to made it more accessible (something more along the lines of Stephen Ozment's books). I'm glad I read it. I tracked it down because I wanted to see just how accurate the movie Dangerous Beauty--which is LOOSELY based on this book--was. The answer is: Not very. Oh well. For those of a scholarly bent, this is a great resource book, for those looking for a light, romantic read (a la the movie) look elsewhere. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1546-1591    2. 16th century    3. Authors, Italian    4. Biography    5. Courtesans    6. Franco, Veronica,    7. General    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Intellectual life    11. Italy    12. Social Science    13. Sociology    14. Venice (Italy)    15. Women's Studies - General    16. Women's Studies - History    17. Biography: historical    18. Biography: political    19. European history: c 1500 to c 1750    20. Social Science / Women's Studies    21. Social history    22. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. Feminism    2. Feminism & Feminist Theory    3. Sex role    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. United States    7. Women    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Editorial Review

"I say vagina because I want people to respond," says playwright Eve Ensler, creatorof the hilarious, disturbing soliloquies in Read more

Reviews (99)

What a load of #%@*
The only thing perhaps more moronic than this tripe is those who have let themselves be bamboozled into thinking that there is something of deep thought and/or substance here.I can only assume that those who found this entertaining are extremely insecure and think that if they like something that others who are perceived to be "important" like that they too will be "important".The part of this I truly find mind-numbing is her "deep" and "thoughtful" insight into the solution to the violence/terrorism in the world;all we need is "vagina warriors" working at the "grass-roots level".You know what, let me reconsider my first observation; to call this moronic is an insult to morons everywhere.It's sub-moronic.

Great text spoken by author but no video of the author declaiming!
Great text; very well spoken by author; but no video of the author declaiming! OTHERWISE FIVE STARS!
A Classic!
It is quite rare that a book appears that is this good; but this book is so good that even men (I am male) can (i.e. should) enjoy it. A groundbreaking, unabashedly feminist (wo)manifesto, The Vagina Monologues has given voice to countless women in the past ten years, and has ushered in a new era of sexual liberation. If you are still incredulous, ask yourself how many books published hitherto so much as had the word 'vagina', let alone all the facts thereabout in it? A wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. American Contemporary Drama    3. Drama    4. Monologues    5. Plays    6. Plays / Drama    7. Theater - Playwriting    8. Vagina    9. Women    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Dance    12. Social Science / Women's Studies    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Religion    2. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    3. Women's Studies - General    4. Spirituality - Women's    5. Inspirational - Protestant    6. Christianity - Christian Life - General    7. Inspirational - General    8. Social Science   

Editorial Review

This "call for reform" reads like an open letter to the Muslim world. Irshad Manji, a Toronto-based television journalist, was born to Muslim parents in South Africa. Her family eventually fled to Canada when she was two years old. Manji shares her life experiences growing up in a Western Muslim household and ask some compelling questions from her feminist-lesbian-journalist perspective. It is interesting to note that Manji has been lambasted for being too personal and not scholarly enough to have a worthwhile opinion. Yet her lack of pretense and her intimate narrative are the strengths of this book. For Muslims to dismiss her opinions as not worthy to bring to the table is not only elitist; it underscores why she feels compelled to speak out critically. Intolerance for dissent, especially women's dissent, is one of her main complaints about Islam. Clearly, her goal was not to write a scholarly critique, but rather to speak from her heartfelt concern about Islam. To her fellow Muslims she writes:Read more

Reviews (191)

The Trouble With Islam is worth the read
Excellent. This is a book by someone who can write from a western perspective and is yet a current believer in Islam. This gives her a unique advantage in writing to a western audience about Islam. You will get a non-biased or non-bigoted view of the problems that modern Islam currently fails to address. I suspect that the negative comments are from those who tolerate no criticism.

A breath of fresh air
The problems within and outside the Islamic faith are well know. It seems that any serious discussion is met with charges of racism or profiling. Finally a sincere and moral Islamic mind to ask the questions and dig into and beyond the superficial answers fed to us through the media.
Written by a life-long woman muslim in Canada
After 9/11, in the interest of understanding Islam, I have read 23 books on the subject.This is one of the best.It is a perspective from a woman, life-long muslim who lives in Canada.Other authors I would recommend are Bernard Lewis and Dinesh D'Souza. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Controversial literature    2. Essence, genius, nature    3. Islam    4. Islam - General    5. Islam and civil society    6. Liberty of conscience (Islam)    7. Religion    8. Religion - World Religions    9. Spirituality - Women's    10. Women's Studies - General   

Reviews (28)

Book encourages reflection on recent events
I started reading this book shortly before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and news clips began pouring in from New Orleans.More clearly than ever, I understood the need for books like Where We Stand to encourage us to think about issues of class in America and then take action in our own lives.
Towards a Just Society
I recommend this book. This is the first bell hooks I have read, and was deeply impressed by her clear, rooted moral position on the state of American and global society. Her writing in this piece shifts from a narrative of her own history growing up in the South, to a present academic, political critique of today.
thanks bell hooks!
Thanks bell hooks!I have never read a book that explained so clearly the feelings I've had growing up in a working class family and the struggles I've endured (even as a white girl). I sensed bell hooks compassion and spirituality throughout this book. I only wish that our political leaders and our religious leaders would take time to read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Minority Studies - Race Relations    5. Race relations    6. Social Science    7. Social classes    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. United States    11. Women's Studies - General    12. American studies    13. Multicultural studies    14. Social Science / Minority Studies    15. USA   

Reviews (46)

Satisfied!
This book is wonderful.It's suspenseful and full of drama, so much so in fact that I couldn't put it down.I'd recommend it to anyone.

In Search of Satisfaction
I though the book was very well written. The Dialog was excellent. I truely enoyed the book. Also I read it to a senior citizen group and they could not wait until my next visit. They would be sitting and waiting when I walk through the door. I give it my top rating.

One of the best books I've read.
I had actually owned this book for several years before finally reading it. After reading it I could only kick myself for not having read it sooner. It is a very intimate portrayal of people, their nature, their choices and forces you to examine the true face of satisfaction. Of all of JCC's books I enjoyed this the most. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African American Novel And Short Story    2. African American women    3. Fathers and daughters    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Popular American Fiction    8. Sisters    9. Women's Studies - General    10. Social Science / Women's Studies   

Reviews (17)

Narcissistic Drivel
I very much enjoy books about China, but I could not stomach Ms. Lu's stunning narcissism. This woman needs to see a psychiatrist before she inflicts herself on anyone else. Do not encourage her self-obsession by buying her book.

Recounts her long struggle
When the author was three years old her family was forced to leave their middle-class life in the city, relocating to an improvised coal mining village to be 're-educated' thanks to the dictate of China's Cultural Revolution. Raised in a life of struggle, the author determined to have a better life, graduating from medical school and overcoming family objections to explore other careers before becoming a top executive in the optical fiber industry. In 1997 she visited the US to launch her own international business: DAUGHTER OF THE YELLOW RIVER: AN INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY FROM DEPRIVED CHILD DURING CHINA'S CULTURAL REVOLUTION TO SUCCESSFUL GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR recounts her long struggle.
A bit narcissistic
The book started out really well, but then became very self-congratulatory.The author includes about 40 photographs of herself in an array of different outfits.While I admire her success, a bit less self-adulation would have made this a far better read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Business    4. Business & Economics    5. Chinese American women    6. History    7. Lu, Diana    8. Women   

Reviews (47)

Does Sari know me personally?
After reading her book I feel as if she does know me personally.Not even my mother could so accurately describe how I feel about my disorganization or my lack of attention.The nice thing about this book is it doesn't try to group all women with ADD into the same category.Some of us are hyper while others, like me, tend to withdraw from interaction.I could continue to identify with this book but my main point is you need to read it.I especially want non ADD people to read it so they might be able to understand some things.

A comprehensive explaination
I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. My pyschatrist (a female) recommended this book. Although I'd read "Driven to Distraction" and "Delivered From Distraction," this book truly explained the disorder in its many forms and specifically how it impacts women. Sadly, I recognized myself in its pages... It gives me hope, however, to discover that I am not alone, and after years of feeling as though I haven't lived up to my potential, (I'm 29) there IS a reason why I feel this way. I can move forward with the tools (medication, structure, therapy) suggested in this book. It is a necessary component to any female ADHD/ADD patient. It is lenghtly and kind of wordy at times... It's best read in spurts or small chunks, as much of the information is dense. Take your time and read this one-- it's worth it!

Women, uncap your pens
If you're ADD like me -- "ADD Like Me" wow, what a great movie title! Sorry; I digress -- anyway, if you are, then you'll be scribbling and underlining like mad all through this book.
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Subjects:  1. Attention-deficit disorder in adults    2. General    3. Personal Growth - General    4. Personal Growth - Success    5. Psychology    6. Psychopathology - Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD--ADHD)    7. Self-Help    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Coping with illness    10. Self-Help / Personal Growth / General   

Reviews (22)

Great Read.... Read slowly
My pre-marital counselor suggested I read this. I had difficulty establishing intimate relationships and had been used to keeping my relationships shallow. This may work with co-workers and friends, but when marrying someone, it is very essential to develop a real emotional connection with your mate. This is something I couldn't fake. After reading this book, I began to change the way I looked at all relationships and have been made comfortable letting my guard down and allowing people I love to get to know me at a deeper level. This is a great read. Read slowly, so that you can absorb!
Recommended by boyfriend's shrink
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud together (in bed). Lots of apply-able concepts, excellent illustrations from real people. Provides insight & understanding - the keys to getting along! Contrary to the title, its not all about sex - its 100% more about Connecting Well in relationships that are of import to you. I learned that "distancing" from my family is not due to lack of care but due to an overintensity of emotion & reactivity to it & high anxiety because our relationships are so explosive.

A Classic for Understanding Relationship Dynamics
I reread this book from time to time and believe it is simply one of the best guides to understanding how relationships work. If every couple who gets married were given this book for a wedding present, the divorce rate would be much lower! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Interpersonal Relations    3. Intimacy (Psychology)    4. Love & Romance    5. Love / Sex / Marriage    6. Psychology    7. Sociology    8. Women    9. Marriage, family & other relationships    10. Popular psychology    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    12. Women's studies   

Reviews (217)

And I thought The Lovely Bones was hard to put down...
I rarely find a book I just Cannot Put Down.One of the rare ones was The Lovely Bones--and it wasn't just the plot.It was the language, the crystal-clear voice-in-your-head narrative that spoke and spoke of pain and sadness and resolve.It was infused with a realism and was both beautiful and haunting.Like the lean, hard and seemingly lengthened muscles of a runner, Sebold's voice is discernable above the din of modern fiction yet it is not haughty or self-involved... Hearing her voice is like the moment you know you are going to be really good friends with someone you just met:comforting and clear, it makes you want to lean closer to absorb it.It made me a devoted fan of Sebold as I am sure you are, too.
A difficult, but engaging read
I suspect I'm like most people who have read this book.I read an interview with Sebold and she said as she was writing "Lovely Bones" she was struggling with the rape scene.Because she had been raped herself, she wasn't able to write about it effectively in "Lovely Bones" until she had dealt with her own stuff.She put down "Lovely Bones", wrote "Lucky", and then picked up and finished "Lovely Bones."Very interesting.
An Incredible and Worthwhile Read, But ...
I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed quite hastily concluded. I wanted more details on her recovery process--how she was able to save herself. That would definitely help readers who have been through similar experiences. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    6. General    7. Offenses Against Women    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Rape    10. Rape victims    11. Regional Subjects - MidAtlantic    12. Sebold, Alice    13. Trials (Rape)    14. United States    15. Victimology    16. Women    17. Biography & Autobiography / General    18. Crime & criminology    19. Literature: History & Criticism    20. True crime    21. Women's studies   

Editorial Review

Adolescent girls today face the issues girls have always faced: "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to be?" Unfortunately their answers, now more than ever before, revolve around the body rather than the mind, heart, or soul. "The body is at the heart of the crisis that [Carol] Gilligan, [Mary] Pipher, and others describe.... The fact that American girls now make the body their central project is not an accident or a curiosity," writes Brumberg, "it is a symptom of historical changes that are only now beginning to be understood." The historical photos, thorough research, and political even-handedness make this a book of worth and sincerity. Read more

Reviews (42)

Fair Attempt to Explain a Growing Problem
I bought this book because I see how girls/young women stuggle to achieve a very unrealistic ideal of beauty and how middle aged women stuggle to hang on to what they had as young women.As I approach 50, I know I am expected to stay trim, fit and muscular in spite of the fact that my body struggles mightly against it, especially since pregnancy and child birth.
Why "beautiful on the inside" doesn't seem to matter anymore
What happened to American girls, to women, over the past hundred years, that caused a quantum shift in how they present themselves to the world?
Unworthy of "American" in its title
The Body Project provides very selective leeway into the societal effects of African-American adolescent girls and their personal body projects. The main focus of this book is on the evolution of the white middle-class adolescent girl throughout American history. African-American and Jewish girls are mentioned briefly in a few chapters, while other ethnic groups are simply never discussed. Are these other various ethnic groups not worthy of their equal place in Brumberg's book?
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Subjects:  1. Body, Human    2. General    3. History    4. Life Stages - Adolescence    5. Social Science    6. Social aspects    7. Sociology    8. Teenage girls    9. United States    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Young women    12. Adolescents    13. Social Science / Women's Studies    14. Social history    15. USA    16. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (3)

Excellent classic that is still insightful in 2004
This book is a classic.In the foreword to the 1986 edition, psychiatrist Jean Baker Miller mentioned her reasons for writing this groundbreaking book that was first published in 1976.First, in her work with women, she noticed that women had psychological strengths that they didn't seem to recognize or appreciate.Second, she was concerned that the model of the "new" woman seemed to be based on a male model, as if that were the only model of a complete person.Miller's goal was to "recognize, re-define and understand the day-to-day experience of women and to show how the mental and emotional lives of individual women reflect the social and political system" (back cover).She highlighted the need for change by describing the psychological damage that can result from unequal status and power in relationships.Although Miller focused on male and female relationships, the same outcome occurs whenever one or more groups are considered subordinate to the dominant group(s) because of such differences as race, sex, class, nationality, or religion; everyone involved is hurt by the inability to be authentic and complete.I appreciated her even-handed and realistic approach to differences:"Differences are a source of strength for each of us-so long as they are not used against us" (p. 136).Almost 30 years later, this landmark work continues to illuminate the problems caused by unequal relationships and opportunities for growth, which could explain why it can still be found in most bookstores.

a timeless classic about dominant/subordinate relationships
This small and important book gives a timeless and cogent description of the dynamics between dominants and subordinates. Though the examples are specific to the relationships between men and women, the model offered stands up in an examination of dominant/subordinate relationships between any two groups or individuals. I discovered my own relationship with my sister (and vestiges of the dominant/subordinate in our relationship continue well into our adulthood). Continuously in print since 1976, Miller's little book is destined to remain in print as a classic, yet with a tiny bit of promotion from the publisher, it could easily become a current bestseller.

Allowed more insights into myself than any other book.
Jean Baker Miller has done a magnificient job of illustrating major developmental issues for men and women. The title is deceiving, because it doesn't express the power and depth of her thinking as it applies to both genders.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gender Studies    2. General    3. Psychology    4. Sociology    5. Women    6. Women's Studies - General    7. Philosophy / General    8. Women's studies   

Reviews (7)

Thoughts on sister outsider
If you are looking for some consiousness raising, inspiring, and honest words - then this is the book that will bring that to you.I highly recommend it.

Still Saving Lives
"I have come to work on you like a drug or a chisel" wrote the late Audre Lorde. Her passing created a hollow space in my soul that is now full again, thanks to Audre Lorde. Despite the fact that 'Sister Outsider' is assigned in virtually every women's studies and gender studies 101, do not think it is dry, ultimately a mere 'academic' book. Audre Lorde lived in and for a radical poetics and a radical pedagogy. If you have not discovered her work yet, please get a hold of a copy. It might save your life the way it saved mine, and I am white, male and straight, with a fierce hatred of white supremacy, patriarchy, and homophobia. But never mind my repeating a mantra you have heard, simply read this book as soon as possible.

Incredible essays
No poems this time around, folks: prose that gets under your skin and into your head.The late, great Audre Lorde, known primarily for her poetry over the years, wrote what is one of the most compelling books on sociology, sexuality, racism and the nature of human character and existence in the last 20 years.Her charges are damning, but dashed with more than a spoonful of hope when appropriate, and it is impossible to walk away from this book unchanged.Read more

Subjects:  1. African American women    2. Black women    3. Essays    4. Feminism    5. Feminism & Feminist Theory    6. Lesbian Studies    7. Lesbianism    8. Nonfiction    9. Poetry    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Women's studies   

Reviews (2)

Rays of Hope
After loosing my husband of 40 years to cancer in January of this year, I read many publications that were supposed to help me in the process of grieving and getting on with my life.They were well meant and did offer some comfort, but this book truly touched my heart and was the most helpful of all.
From someone who knows
This book comforts and makes you feel like you are not alone, because you are not.I have given it to other women who have lost their husbands and they have been blessed by it as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Death, Grief, Bereavement    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family/Marriage    4. Life skills guides    5. Religious life    6. Sociology    7. Widows    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Family & Relationships / Death, Grief, Bereavement   

Reviews (1)

Listening to the other half...
This was our textbook in Psychology of Women and probably one of the few that I actually enjoyed reading. Hyde provides meta-analysis of psychological studies in a wide variety of subjects such as gender stereotypes and differences, gender roles and ethnicity, gender and language, women and work, biological influences on women's bahavior, and many more. She supplements the meta-analysis with specific studies and critiques from various perspectives, including feminism. Actually, this book most favorably looks at the feminist theory and explanation although it does not discunt others. I think that is expected from a book titled "Half the Human Experiance." Overall, I think that this book should not only be used in the academic arena but is also a wonderful source of information for anyone who wants to understand women better. I have gained a fresh insight into myself. I also think that any man who reads this book would find many similarities between the genders (that the author stresses throughout the text) as well as gain insight into any women in his life (mother, sisters, friends, girlfriend...).
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Psychology    3. Reference    4. Women's studies   

Reviews (5)

Quite Obsolete
In the late 70ies Protestant and Jewish scholars started to reexamine the carnal world of the early Christians. Since then daring new views have come up showing that Catholic Christianity as it developed since the 2nd century is not the same as New Testament Christianity which was deeply rooted in Judaism and its attitudes towards the body. Scholars like Jane Schaberg (1987), Raymond J. Lawrence (1989) and more recently Philo Thelos (2003) have shown that early Christian women and men treated each other in a very revolutionary manner experimenting with freedom and, compared to their pagan background, were all but chaste. It was the Catholic church that later took over Roman and pagan attitudes about family, marriage, virginity and chastity. Peter Brown's treatment of Jew�sh attitudes towards the body emphasizes hellenistic Judaism and only slightly discusses much more body-oriented orthodox Judaism. His views on the apostle Paul are simply outdated and reflect traditional atheist views. Mr. Brown, however, correctly observes a trend towards asceticism among late antique Christians. This trend, however, did not originate in allegedly stern attitudes of the new Christian religion but in the failure of many early Christians to, the long run, embrace, keep up and enjoy the freedom offered to them. It was the young Martin Luther who reexplored the bodily freedom offered by the Gospel. The Calvinists and modern Bourgeois middle class Christians again lost that freedom. Interestingly enough, today it is Atheists who challenge Christians and their heritage of carnal freedom.

Theme not very carefully defined
The title of Mr. Brown's book is deceiving. He asserts to write about sexual renunciation in early Christianity. Instead he basicly writes about sexual renunciation in among the Gnostics. There is a good reason why devoted Christians of all denominations view Gnosticism as a heresy. Gnosticism is very much rooted in pagan, i.e. Indian and Persian religious esoteric beliefs. As scholars like A. Vööbus ("History of Asceticism in the Syrian Orient") have shown, sexual asceticism is not anything originally Jewish or Christian, but has been taken over by certain groups of Christians from Eastern religions. Of course, these groups have heavily influenced church Christianity and made Christians and non-Christians alike believe that celibacy is a truly christian virtue. However, church christianity has never been exactly the same kind of Christianity as the one depicted in the New Testament.

an excellent, scholarly study
Brown's book is the finest study available on sexuality and the body in the early Church. This book sheds great light on the classical, Jewish , and Christian conceptions of the body and how important those conceptionswere in early Christianity, especially for early Christian asceticism. Thisis a must read for anyone interested in gaining a serious appreciation ofthe early Church. Many histories focus primarily on the Development ofChristian Doctrine and Ecclesial structures. An understanding of earlyChristian spirituality and asceticism illuminates early Christian doctrineand church structure even more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. Celibacy    3. Christianity    4. Christianity - General    5. Early church, ca. 30-600    6. History of doctrines    7. Religion    8. Religion - Church History    9. Religious aspects    10. Sex    11. Virginity    12. Women's Studies - General    13. Christian ministry & pastoral activity    14. Religion / Christianity   

Reviews (11)

This is a really important topic that deserves stronger solutions then offered here
This book is full of compelling anecdotes but the author divided women into 3 simplistic stereotypes that reduce it's usefulness. My vote goes to a similar book that is more indepth, "In the Company of Women". A big part of being a woman for most of us is telling stories about our experiences to make them complete and to bond, this book fills that need. This book is a great step forward in identifying the problem, but less on creating solutions. One story, told as a victory, is about a woman who cl