Good Sex: Feminist Perspectives from the World's Religions [Paperback]

Radhika Balakrishnan (Adapter), Patricia Beattie Jung (Editor), Mary E. Hunt (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0813528844 | ISBN-13: 978-0813528847

"Good Sex is a pioneering effort to create an interreligious dialogue specifically on sexuality. . . . [It] is the realization of efforts by concerned feminists to talk across national and religious borders in the name of social justice."-VOLUNTUS, International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations "This collection of essays is a useful addition to contemporary post-colonial, post-Beijing women's studies courses that seek to integrate a plurality of cultural and religious perspectives into the discourse on women's sexuality. . . . The volume is very helpful in communicating a sense of the history or feminist discourse and the effects of globalization on that discourse. . . . And everyone smiles when they hear the title of the book."-Journal of Contemporary Religion "This groundbreaking collection of 11 articles by women from eight countries and seven religious traditions challenges male-defined ideas of sexuality that have constricted women by denying them pleasure and autonomous agency and threatening their well-being and, sometimes, lives. . . . While the contributors do not always agree, they do recognize the importance of global and interdisciplinary perspectives and affirm the tension women experience when they work for change from within a repressive tradition. Recommended." -Library Journal "The collection as a whole makes both an explicit and implicit case for culture, and not religion, being the primary source of undertandings of sex as solely for reproduction, and illustrates religions that have always recognized other purposes (Judaism, Islam) as well as religions which have come to recognize other purposes (Christianity). . . . A very useful collection in terms of both the data is provides and its methodological reflection."-Conscience "At this most timely moment in history, [Good Sex] presents diverse and supremely intelligent perspectives on the systematic terrorizing of women through sexual slavery, marital rape, domestic violence, and rules of behavior designed to numb mind, body, and spirit. . . . At the same time, the major message of the book is one of optimism. It offers eloquent language for redefining sexual pleasure beyond immediate, goal-oriented gratification and for discussing ethical principles that locate sex at the center of public policy, not only in the bedroom or the family law courts. . . . [Good Sex] contains insightful arguments for sexual justice, inviting us to rethink and expand our stock definitions of what constitutes good sex, or even sex itself, and to reevaluate the contexts in which such redefined sex can be enjoyed. This collection of essays deserves to be on the shelf of every library on the planet as well as standard issue in women's study courses and all courses dealing with sexuality, spirituality, and religion."-The Journal of Sex Research "Good Sex is a rare gem. It opens doors of inquiry into feminism, religion, and sexuality-exploring terrain that is vital to the human rights of women and men. It invites passionate debate and will no doubt become a classic."-Charlotte Bunch, executive director, Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University What is "good sex" in the globalized world of the twenty-first century? This volume brings together essays by feminist scholars from different religions and cultures to consider how women are redefining sexuality for the common good. The essays explore sexual and social restrictions on women; religiously and socially acceptable avenues of sexual expression; constructions of sexual identities; and attitudes toward women's sexual desires. How is sexual desire constructed within specific cultural and religious contexts? What sacrifices must women make (and how do they make them) simply to have sexual lives? What options and strategies are available to women to dissolve the many restrictions imposed on their sexuality? These are some of the questions being explored.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia Beattie Jung is an associate professor of theology at Loyola University Chicago and is coauthor of Heterosexism: An Ethical Challenge. Mary E. Hunt is cofounder and codirector of the Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring, Maryland, and author of Fierce Tenderness: A Feminist Theology of Friendship. Radhika Balakrishnan is an associate professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813528844
• ISBN-13: 978-0813528847
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,022,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D., is a feminist theologian who is co-founder and co-director of the Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. A Catholic active in the women-church movement, she lectures and writes on theology and ethics with particular attention to liberation issues. She is the editor of A Guide for Women in Religion: Making Your Way from A to Z (Palgrave, 2004) and co-editor with Diann L. Neu of New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views (SkyLight Paths, 2010).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and informative read, October 21, 2009

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Nel Nel "Nel" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Good Sex: Feminist Perspectives from the World's Religions (Paperback)

This book is a good read for women and men. It exposes the reader to the plight of women throughout different parts of the world.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars review is of lousy kindle sample, January 16, 2011

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Anna (Cudjoe Key, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Sex: Feminist Perspectives from the World's Religions (Kindle Edition)

never got to body of work. whole sample wasted on intro boring details of how survey was planned and executed and pages of apologies for limitatioms of study. sure made me want to click BUY and dive right in Not. Pity. Title sounded worthy