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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An innovative look at Judeo-Christian attitudes to sex.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Poisoning of Eros: Sexual Values in Conflict (Hardcover)
We tend to think of our Judeo-Christian heritage as being responsible for our sexual mores. Rev. Raymond Lawrence's Poisoning of Eros concludes that so called Judeo-Christian sexual puritanism has its origins not in the Bible, but in the synthesis between classical pagan neo-platonism and the teaching of the later church fathers, especially Augustine. Lawrence interprets the Old Testament from a Hebraic as opposed to a Hellenic perspective and concludes that modern christianity has ignored the obvious polygamy inherent in Old Testament times. Even the New Testament is far less averse to a more "open" sexuality than one might think. Lawrence argues that Paul's epistles have been mistranslated so as to make Paul opposed to matters sexual. Lawrence believes that Martin Luther more earthy approach to sexual mores was very much more appropriate for a christian, than are today's constrained viewpoints. Lawrence concludes that original christian teachings were not hostile to an open sexual culture and were more realistic than today's constrained christian sexual ethics. Regardless of whether one agrees or not with his thesis, Lawrence's book will do that which one should expect of any good book: it will make the reader think.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Have for all Born Again Christians like myself.,
This review is from: The Poisoning of Eros: Sexual Values in Conflict (Hardcover)
You may not agree with the conclusions but you can't argue with the church history. It is very plain that the the doctorine on sex that we are taught today is not from the bible but rather from Roman Greco Platonic philosophy that infiltrated the church in the 2nd century. It pains me that the Poisoning of eros is out of print. (Though you can get one easily here or other used book sites) The Poisoning of Eros enlightens us on what is biblical and what is cultural and anti scripturual dualist philosophy. I would also recomend Dirt Greed and Sex by Wilianm Countryman Dirt, and Divine Sex: Liberating sex from religious tradition by Philo Thelos. These are must haves for all serious students of the Bible that want to study the topic of sex and the bible.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the Risk. Super Relavent.,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Poisoning of Eros: Sexual Values in Conflict (Hardcover)
Reading this will not let you down if you're looking to be challenged, informed, and perhaps relieved. His writing style is not overbearing or arrogant in his views, and he presents his case transparently and methodically.
I didn't give it the fifth star simply because it's not exactly a page-turner either. It's written for the (very) interested layperson, but not for anyone seeking sensationalism or "pulp non-fiction." Perhaps that is its greatest strength. Considering today's one-size-fits-all model of how relationships and sexuality are "supposed" to happen (all other options bearing the default label of "evil" -- or at least "suspect") based on an allegedly Christian tradition, it might surprise you to know that all is not as it seems.
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