Synopses & Reviews
In 1970 William Phipps rocked Christianity with his controversial Was Jesus Married? The Distortion of Sexuality in the Christian Tradition, ushering in a generation of critical study of this sacrosanct subject. Now, in this carefully researched and considered reflection on celibacy, sexuality, and gender in first-century Palestine, Phipps suggests how Jesus' life and teaching undermined traditional attitudes toward women and the human body -- and how the Jesus of the Gospels can inform contemporary discussions of gender and sexuality.
The first step in comprehending the historical Jesus, Phipps argues, is to realize that he was raised by faithful Jews and that his Jewishness persisted throughout his life. Thus while the matrix for early Christian sexual morality was the Jewish ethos, as the church gravitated westward it was infiltrated by sharply different standards. Phipps seeks above all to release the pivotal personality in Western history from the dehumanizing treatments found in much of the Christian tradition.
Unabashedly dealing with the most contentious of topics, The Sexuality of Jesus is a fresh, original, and provocative analysis of sexuality and religious faith.
Synopsis
Carefully analyzing such subjects as celibacy, sexuality, and gender in first Palestine, Phipps suggests how Jesus' life and teaching undermined traditional attitudes toward women and the human body-and how the Jesus of Gospels can inform discussions of gender and sexuality today.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 244-245) and indexes.