Customer Reviews

The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love

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In "The Soul of Sex," Thomas Moore presents a view of human sexuality which transcends our narrow-minded Western tendencies to view it (and almost everything else) as either good or evil, black or white, right or wrong, sacred or profane. The Western world is slowly waking up to the realization that we cannot separate the body from the mind and the spirit. Our sexuality is tightly woven with all three, and cannot be dismissed and stuffed away under the guise of "morality" (as so many of our so-called "leaders" would have us do.) Sex is central to our being. Moore's belief that accepting, embracing and celebrating our sexuality can be accomplished without decending into the tawdry images of pornography was a revelation for me. However the book is difficult, sometimes rambling and a bit New Age-esque at times. It's best to read it one chapter at a time and allow the ideas and images to take root before reading further. "The Soul of Sex" has been very useful to me in my journey to overcome emotional and sexual problems resulting from a repressive, guilt- and shame-ridden Southern Baptist upbringing. I strongly recommend it to others who are likewise suffering, and anyone who simply wants to deepen their understanding of sex and soul.

In the introduction to his book, The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love, Thomas Moore writes about Sigmund Freud's principal that: "we display outrageously and obsessively that which we do not fully possess or have deeply at our disposal. If we are displaying sex with unseemly exaggeration and preoccupation, then we have not found the heart of sex and made it a fully integrated part of individual and social life." Freud's statement appealed to Moore because he can see both the irony and reality of this state of nature. That given, Moore himself can not resist the pun "...we need more sex, not less, but we need sex with soul. If we are to believe and follow in Moore's teachings we must look to Eros and find the sexuality in all things. Moore gives us great license in life through, his philosophy to live life in pursuit of the fulfillment of pleasuring our soul. The Soul of Sex will be an extremely useful tool for anyone to use in ministry. What kind of a book do you give Christians to read that is not offensive and yet will stimulate their imaginations to think creatively about such an intimate topic? Moore's book may not be for all as the subject of sex is not always for all. However, I would suggest using this book as leverage into the mindset of the audience. It has so many great archetypal patterns and examples that can be translated into lively discussion and self-examination. Can we be sexually creative and free and be moral? Can people be sexually active and good Christians? Moore believes we can and that is point. How did we as a culture become so hung up sexually? Where in the bible does it say that we must live with the burden of "puritan morality?" The book will be a resource to reassure those that are questioning their sexuality. People have many different normal feelings about sex that are completely natural. These feelings need to be listen to, fed and identified. Sometimes we need to follow our hearts and listen to our gut. Moore states that our sexuality extends outward into the world. We in America need to review our art, literature, architecture, and our fundamental beliefs and see that our spirituality and our sexuality can coexist. The road less traveled comes to mind here. That road suggests Moore should be sucked up and smelled and touched and experience to it's fullest. We are more alive and more in harmony with our creator when we not only smell the roses but enjoy the arousal within us that the fragrance sets stirring.

Spiritual writers have always assumed we're trying to get to some loftier plane than this one, where there's lots of love but no sensuality. A sort of endless group hug, perhaps. Without entwining sex with its sentimental partner, love, this book examines the deeper meaning and life-affirming need behind our fascination with sex. Thomas Moore isn't the easiest writer to understand, I find I have to switch to some more lyrical level of my brain to follow him, but his elliptical style fits this subject well. And it's a hidden subject, one that vanishes if you look at it too directly. For all the joy and depth that sex brings to our lives, we treat it rather shoddily, plastering it with coyness, burying it in morality, or handing it off to biologists for dissection. The danger lies not in the concealment, for the elusiveness adds to the intrigue and mystery, but in thinking that we can separate sexuality and sensuality from the fabric of our lives.

If you liked Moore's earlier works (especially 'Soul Mates'), or you are entirely new to his writing..there is something of wisdom and insight for everyone in this magical volume. As is true of Moore's other, related books, they invite you to a smorgasboard of ideas, knowledge and observations. You can pick and choose, take or leave, as you like. Whilst some of his chapters are slightly 'academic', there are many aspects to his interpretations that have perfect relevance to, and resonance with our own, everyday experiences. 'Intimacy within intimacies'-this book is like the candle we hold to the dark window, as we wonder how we might feel less alone in this world. It is a guide only. However, worth the journey and the read. Even if, a little indulgence does certainly go a long way.

Ironically I found this book to be soul destroying in some of it's attempts to put the soul back into sex.

First it has a chapter describing the soul of the phallus and vagina where it describes the mysteries of the vaginal canal and womb as the entrance of pleasure for the penis, which to me was a pretty soulless and western patriarchal male description of the spirit behind a woman's sex organs. Sort of annoying in a book with the purpose of putting back the soul of sex and severely alienating too!

I think this is some of why we've lost our spirituality in the West, we see anything that is still, silent or dark as something made to be filled by the Freudian "Penis-child" Moore mentions in his book.

If it's quiet we fill it up with noise, if it's dark we light it, if it's still we pour activity into it. If it's empty it must need filling.

A well, a cave are not empty spaces that we need to fill, nor is the darkness of night. They are full all on their own, they are the ultimate reminders of the mystery that is the divine as David Steindle-Rast mentions in his book of hours.

Perhaps in light of this is would be more beneficial and soulful to look at the so called empty space of the vagina and womb in this light. Not as something to be filled, but as something that are complete on their own. Something we can learn to appreciate in the same way we can darkness, stillness, and silence. They aren't a place for you to visit or tuck into anymore than the phallus is a location or place you can visit.

My other problems are the constant reference to psycho analysis, a science born of a man very few would find pro-woman, or woman positive, where people talk endlessly about their problems and yet rarely seem to move beyond them, quite the opposite of the quiet, mysterious healing power of nature and the soul. Last I found the use of Marilyn Monroe as a symbol of Eros and the Goddess of Love as suspect. Using a Movie star, and one that seems to arouse alot of pity in people for her sad life, which ended in suicide doesn't seem to be in line with living soulfully in the spirit of pleasure and joy of Eros. Using your sexuality for Fame, the most soulless of ambitions? Being used by a system, sleeping with men for power not for spiritual or sacrad exchange, that's who we want to look at for an example of eros in life? Not this soul. I think we all know soulful, sensual people or pets in our lives, why do we need to look at an empty and soulless image created by hollywood as inspiration?

Alot of people seem to like the book, so if these things don't bother you then this book might have much to offer you, and certainly I don't begrudge anyone the much needed help of finding the soul of sex in everyday life, from whatever source. I am pleased that at least we're looking for newer, healthier ways of living and living with sex. That's progress!

Some other books to look at... Riane Eislers Sacred Pleasure, John O Donohue's Anam Cara, The Listening Heart by David Steindl-Rast.

the best yet ... infomative , poetic , lovely , insightful , accepting , nourishing , wise , real , human ... something to eat in small , tasty and tasteful nibbles ...

If you have never read a book by this author before, you will be pleasantly surpised. Second only so far to THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF EVERYDAY LIFE, it is definitely one of my favorites. And I am quite a fan. His writing is rich in insight-- it has been a long time since I truly felt that reading a book was an *experience*. This is. And a profound one at that. There are a lot of "self-help" books out there, and there a lot of "sex books" as well. This has something NEW, and much deeper, to add, without taking on the persona of either of the above. An artful book if ever I saw one.

Thomas Moore weaves a beautiful picture of human sexuality that goes beyond and through the crude and shallow side show billing that sexuality seems to carry today. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover.

Moore synthesizes a variety of ancient mythological and religious motifs to explain a holistic convergence of mind and spirit. His histories, however, seem to be somewhat lacking in consideration of Judaism's contributions to sexuality and spirituality. For examples, in his references to contemplation and personification of religious artifacts he neglects to mention the Jewish contemplation of the Torah scrolls during worship and the dressing of the Torah in the raiments of the ancient priests. Surely this practice is as old and well known as the Catholic contemplation of the Host. Granted, much of the ancient Hebrew texts reject the pagan mythology on which Moore bases many of his analogies (some insight into the rite of circumcision in regard to the myth of the phallus would be fascinating), but the sensual spirituality of the Kaballah is overlooked. What about the roles of Lillith and Eve as female archetypes? I believe more investigation into this rich and ancient tradition would have provided a fuller vision. My Jewish soul felt a distinct lack of identification with most of the author's icons.

The Soul of Sex is a wonderful follow up to Soul Mates. I am constantly amazed by Moore. How does a Catholic Priest have such good insight into the Inner Sanctum of relationships, when his own faith appears to distance itself from that? Whatever way he does it, Moore succeeds yet again.

This is not light reading but it does touch the parts that most other authors fail to reach. In this category I exclude the inspiring "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth..." by Richard Patton. Both these authors deal with taboo religious subjects in a seemingly unbiased fashion that illuminates without emotional persuasion (the touch-stone of many a great writer). It appears that Moore has `discovered' Tantra which Patton has already gone into in some considerable depth. Am I wrong or are there more writers today dealing with profound paradox's? Where were the Deepak Chopra's and Richard Patton's twenty years ago? Moore works from within the `system' yet clearly wants us to question it. I loved this book and would love to see the look on Moore's ecclesiastical colleagues when they see it. This is a great book for those times when you KNOW you are not going to be interrupted. It needs concentration but the journey is well worth it.