Synopses & Reviews
Each fall, a new batch of students arrives at college for the first time, their whole lives in flux. They are searching for their identities--where and with whom they belong--and no topics are more central to that quest than sex and spirituality. What do students think about the casual, non-committal "hookup culture" that is rampant on America's college campuses? What do their religious beliefs say about sex, and does that matter to them? Do they still value the religious and spiritual beliefs they were raised to hold?
By interviewing students at colleges and universities across the country--large and small, public and private, secular, Catholic, and evangelical--Donna Freitas has discovered what students really think about sex, dating, religion, and spirituality. Their candid and engaging stories bring to life the painful struggles these students face as they navigate tough choices about sex and the soul. Freitas's research reveals that, even at secular schools, students are not comfortable with a culture of casual sex, and they want faith to help them decide what they should do and who they should try to be--not just what they should avoid doing. Yet they feel religion has little to offer them. Though college students are diverse in beliefs and attitudes, the difficulty they have grappling with these issues is universal.
First published in 2008, Donna Freitas's Sex and the Soul achieved national acclaim, illuminating the as-yet-unexplored struggles of college students navigating the lines of faith and sexuality. This updated edition includes a new afterword in which Freitas reflects on the hundreds of conversations she has had with college students since the book was first published, and offers practical advice for young people struggling with issues of sex and spirituality and for the adults giving them guidance.
Review
From the previous edition:
"Freitas... has carried out the most extensive empirical research to date of college students' sexual practices, sexual ethics, sexual confusion, and sexual heartache... An unequivocal must-read for church leaders, college and seminary professors, and parents." --Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought
"In Sex and the Soul, Donna Freitas models a lovingly Catholic attention to evangelicals, a surprisingly evangelical attention to Catholics, and a passionate, creative attention to the desires of all college students. Freitas is America's foremost young writer on how religious traditions impact everyday life." --Tom Beaudoin, author of Consuming Faith
"Sex and the Soul is both disturbing and hopeful. Donna Freitas is a skilled and sympathetic interlocutor, and her prescriptions for addressing the 'hookup culture' merit serious consideration." --Randall Balmer, author of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America
"Relying on exhaustive research and analysis, this unflinching work delivers both a widely comprehensive and deeply intimate portrait of hook-up culture in this formidably spiritual generation, examining its contradictions, broken hearts, and impossible promises like no one has before. Sex and the Soul should be required reading for anyone interested in today's campus culture -- and tomorrow's adulthood." --Lauren Sandler, author of Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement
"How to explain the rise in the 'spiritual but not religious' option among U.S. college students? Might sex have something to do with it? In this provocative book, one of the country's foremost scholars of religion and youth culture answers this question with an emphatic YES! At the heart of this pathbreaking (and heartbreaking) book are the stories of college students 'searching alone' for ways to bring their bodies into conversation with their beliefs. Smart, learned, beautifully written, and above all humane -- this book should jump-start a national conversation on how the sexual revolution has trapped students as much as it has freed them." --Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- and Doesn't
Fascinating, disturbing...Freitas's tone is engaging and her writing persuasive...Freitas's work chronicles a poignant spiritual loss that students themselves articulate and mourn.--Publishers Weekly
"Candid, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful...Throughout this beautifully written book, Freitas presents students' feelings and experiences in an unflinching yet compassionate way. You care about these young people and their struggles. This book is a great service to students, parents, and those at colleges and universities who want to prepare young adults not just for the workplace but for healthy and fulfilling lives." --Christian Science Monitor
Fascinating...provocative...Anyone with any interest in mentoring young people should read this book and its recommendations, because there's great hope and wisdom in them. --The Weekly Standard
A wonderful, mind-clearing book...Freitas's book is a boon to anyone who not only cares about our nation's young people, but who has previously learned about this phenomenon only through rumors or anecdotes. Read her book, based on dozens of interviews, for the real scoop. --James Martin, SJ, America
Freitas's book should scare Catholic parents into asking some honest questions early and often.... Freitas has opened those dorm rooms a crack and allowed us to hear how we're doing. We need to listen up. --Commonweal
"The level of technicality of the writing is formal but also easily understood. The author descibes her ideas and findings in general yet detailed ways and provide helpful definitions and explanations of terminology." --Hennie Weiss
"Sex and the Soul is s powerful read and excellent...The candid, eye-opening narrative removes the barriers of ignorance and equips individuals to dialogue more openly about spirituality and sexuality." --Christy Rowden
"In general, the book provides a quality read for those interested in how religion intersects with the sexual decision-making of young adults." --BYU Studies Quarterly
Review
From the previous edition:
Fascinating, disturbing...Freitas's tone is engaging and her writing persuasive...Freitas's work chronicles a poignant spiritual loss that students themselves articulate and mourn.
--Publishers Weekly
"Candid, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful...Throughout this beautifully written book, Freitas presents students' feelings and experiences in an unflinching yet compassionate way. You care about these young people and their struggles. This book is a great service to students, parents, and those at colleges and universities who want to prepare young adults not just for the workplace but for healthy and fulfilling lives."
--Christian Science Monitor
Fascinating...provocative...Anyone with any interest in mentoring young people should read this book and its recommendations, because there's great hope and wisdom in them.
--The Weekly Standard
"An unequivocal must-read for church leaders, college and seminary professors, and parents."
--Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought
A wonderful, mind-clearing book... A boon to anyone who not only cares about our nation's young people, but who has previously learned about this phenomenon only through rumors or anecdotes. Read her book, based on dozens of interviews, for the real scoop.
--James Martin, SJ, America
Freitas's book should scare Catholic parents into asking some honest questions early and often.... Freitas has opened those dorm rooms a crack and allowed us to hear how we're doing. We need to listen up.
-Commonweal
Synopsis
First published in 2008, Donna Freitas's Sex and the Soul revealed what college students -- at institutions large and small, public and private, secular, Catholic, and evangelical -- really think about sex, dating, religion, and spirituality. Based on face-to- face interviews with students across the country, Sex and the Soul achieved national acclaim, illuminating the as-yet-unexplored struggles of college students navigating the lines of faith and sexuality. Now, in this updated edition, Freitas reflects on the hundreds of conversations she has had with students since the book was first published in an all-new afterword, and offers practical advice for young people struggling with issues of sex and spirituality and for the adults giving them guidance.
Synopsis
First published in 2008, Donna Freitas's
Sex and the Soul achieved national acclaim, illuminating the as-yet-unexplored struggles of college students navigating the lines of faith and sexuality. Conducting face-to-face interviews at a wide range of colleges and universities-from public to private, Catholic to evangelical-Freitas discovers what students really think about these highly personal subjects. Their stories will not only engage readers, but, in many cases, move them with the painful struggles these candid young women and men face. Indeed, the book uncovers aspects of college life that may unsettle some readers, especially parents. Many campuses, for instance, are dominated by a pervasive hook-up culture. Moreover, many students see little connection between sex and religion, even as they seek one between sex and spirituality. Indeed, these observations hold true even at Catholic schools. Only at evangelical colleges is religion an important factor when deciding whether or not to engage in sex. But Freitas's research also reveals that, even at secular schools, students are not comfortable with a culture of casual sex, and that they do want spirituality to speak about what they should do and who they should try to be-not just what they should avoid doing.
This updated edition includes a new Afterword in which Freitas reflects on the hundreds of conversations she has had with college students since the book was first published, and offers further practical advice for dealing with hookup culture.
About the Author
Donna Freitas is a Research Associate at the University of Notre Dame's Center for the Study of Religion and Society. A regular contributor to Publishers Weekly, she has also written for
The Wall Street Journal,
The New York Times, and
Christianity Today, and she has frequently lectured on
Sex and the Soul at colleges and universities all over the country. She is also the author of
The End of Sex: How Hookup Culture is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Unfulfilled, and
Confused About Intimacy, and several young adult novels, including
The Possibilities of Sainthood.
Table of Contents
Foreword, by Lauren Winner
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Welcome to College. Meet Amy Stone: Tour Guide, Fashion Model, Straight-A Student
Section 1: The Varieties of College Religious Experience
1. The Spiritual Colleges: Souls Adrift
2. Why Catholic Schools (and Their Students) Are "Spiritual but Not Religious"
3. Evangelical Extroverts: Faithful and Diverse
Section 2: The Romantic Ideal
4. Evangelical Purity Culture: Its Princesses and Warriors
5. Wanted: A Little Romance
Section 3: The Truth About Sex On Campus
6. Where Dating=Marriage and a Kiss Means Everything
7. Hookups, Ho's, and Losing It
Section 4: Reconciling Sex and the Soul (or Not) on Campus
8. God vs. My Boyfriend
9. Dividing Sex from the Soul: Why Religion Doesn't Matter When It Comes to Sex
Section 5: Conclusions and Practical Implications
10. Seeking a Sexy Spirituality for Students on Campus
A Practical Guide to Sex and the Soul: Three Musts for Your College To-Do List, What to Say to Your Child, Student, Parishioner, Friend
Afterword: Everyone Wants to Talk about Hooking Up : New Reflections After Nearly a Decade of Conversation
5 Simple Ideas for Responding to Hookup Culture on Campus: For faculty, administrators, campus ministry, and student affairs staff
Appendix: On Methodology
Notes
Index