This anthology for queer Jewish history draws from two millennia, five continents, and fifteen languages. Through poetry, drama, law, literature, memoirs and commentary, the book reveals a history long shared by two ancient cultures, Jewish and gay. It includes generous bibliographies, two indexes, and an extensive list of thematic links for focused study.--

Looks at the relationship between power and sex, using history and literature to explore the trophy wife, the harem, the political marriage, and other evidence of a link between these two forces.

In all three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, marriage is part of God's plan for humanity, as illustrated in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, and the Koran as well as the religious literature of these three traditions. It is viewed as a sacred bond as well as a means to personal fulfilment. It is more than a legal contract, rather an institution with cosmic significance, legitimized through divine authority. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the purpose of marriage is to build a home, create a family and thereby perpetuate society. Yet, despite the similarity of perception in the great monotheistic faiths, there are important differences. In this book three scholars outline sex law, betrothal and marriage, family life and the understanding of divorce in these traditions and discuss the differences between them in a student-friendly and accessible way. -- Publisher

Contradictory stereotypes about Jewish sexuality pervade modern culture, from Lenny Bruce's hip eroticism to Woody Allen's little man with the big libido (and even bigger sexual neurosis). Does Judaism in fact liberate or repress sexual desire? David Biale does much more than answer that question as he traces Judaism's evolving position on sexuality, from the Bible and Talmud to Zionism up through American attitudes today. What he finds is a persistent conflict between asceticism and gratification, between procreation and pleasure. From the period of the Talmud onward, Biale says, Jewish culture continually struggled with sexual abstinence, attempting to incorporate the virtues of celibacy, as it absorbed them from Greco-Roman and Christian cultures, within a theology of procreation. He explores both the canonical writings of male authorities and the alternative voices of women, drawing from a fascinating range of sources that includes the Book of Ruth, Yiddish literature, the memoirs of the founders of Zionism, and the films of Woody Allen. Biale's historical reconstruction of Jewish sexuality sees the present through the past and the past through the present. He discovers an erotic tradition that is not dogmatic, but a record of real people struggling with questions that have challenged every human culture, and that have relevance for the dilemmas of both Jews and non-Jews today.

In this media driven age in which private has become public we have seen the Stonewall riots, which launched the gay rights movement, Hair on Broadway with a nude cast, art from Mapplethorpe to Madonna, AIDS and safe sex campaigns, drag gone mainstream, and adolescents engaging in sexual activity at increasingly younger ages. At the same time, society continually tries to eradicate open expressions of sexuality and harass those who ignore the mandated modes of permissible sexual expression. Taking on those who would limit sexual freedom, New Sexual Agendas challenges the notion that there are fixed sexual behaviors for men and women. This engaging collection draws on a number of disciplines including women's studies, literature, gender studies, cultural studies, history, politics, and education, sociology, and psychology. Including well known thinkers such as Jeffrey Weeks, Leonore Tiefer, and Mary McIntosh, New Sexual Agendas explores our sexual legacy, from turn-of-the-century sexologists to the inequalities of sexually invested social structures, from the rise of the Right and its portent for sexual freedoms to the myth of women as the subordinate sex. Along the way it explores the limits of trust in intimate relationships, the escalating AIDS epidemic, and the dangers of prescribed sex roles for both heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

In this book, Barney explores her family tree, chronicles her friendships and associations through reprinted correspondence and recreated conversations, and evokes the golden age of her salon in gallery of literary portraits.

"There is a huge amount of academic 19th century literature relating to sacred sexuality. However, there are not many books which cover this subject matter for the general reader: this book is one of the few. Goldberg approaches the culturally sensitive issue of the intersection of religion and sex frankly and in some depth. That said, this work has a few problems which need to be kept in mind while reading it. There is not much in the way of apparatus aside from a bibliography: not even the Bible quotes are attributed. Goldberg also invents a number of descriptive passages, particularly in the second section. While these go a long way towards dimensionalizing this material, they include a number of purely speculative details which are not identified as such. Perhaps the best part of this book is the discussion of the evolution of the attitude towards sexuality in Christianity. Goldberg also describes a number of little-known curious cults such as the Russian Skopzi, the mediaeval flagellants, and others. Long out of print, but available used, this book serves as a useful introduction to the subject and sheds light on some little known corners of the subject of sacred sexuality." (Quote from sacred-texts.com) Table of Contents Publisher's Preface; The Erotic Motive In Primitive Religion; Far Away And Long Ago; Primitive Man In Love And Faith; In The Foundry Of The Gods; The Spirit Of Love In God And Man; Love's Hidden Ways; In The Temple Of The Gods; A Day With Baal; A Night With Aphrodite; At A Dionysian Mystery; Twilight With Moloch; The Dance Of The Saktas; In The House Of The Lord; Prologue; Love In The Synagogue; Romance In The Church; Marriage In The Mosque; Longing In The Dark; The Spirit Of Revolt In Religion; Rebels In The Faith; Love The Force Of Rebellion; The Revolt Against Religion; The Revolt Against God; The Revolt A