City Threads - Shop now
Buy used:
$6.26
FREE delivery Monday, June 2. Details
Or fastest delivery May 28 - 30. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by onceuponatimebooks
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear .
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Donna Freitas
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses 1st Edition

by Donna Freitas (Author), Lauren Winner (Foreword)
4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
Based on dozens of face-to-face interviews, Sex and the Soul explores the sexual and spiritual lives of today's college students. Donna Freitas crisscrossed the country, visiting a range of America's colleges and universities--from public to private, Catholic to evangelical--to find out what students had to say about these highly personal subjects. Their stories will not only engage readers, but, in many cases, move them with the painful struggles these candid young women and men face. Indeed, the book uncovers aspects of college life that may unsettle some readers, especially parents. Many campuses, for instance, are dominated by the pervasiveness of hook-up culture. Moreover, many students see little connection between sex and religion, even as they seek one between sex and spirituality. Indeed, these observations hold true even at Catholic schools. Only at evangelical colleges is religion an important factor when deciding whether or not to engage in sex. But Freitas's research also reveals that, even at secular schools, students are not comfortable with a culture of casual sex, and that they do want spirituality, at least, if not also religion, to speak about what they should do and who they should try to be--not just what they should avoid doing.
Sex and the Soul will offer readers the chance to hear college students speaking honestly about extremely sensitive topics, in a book that will be of great interest to students, parents, clergy, teachers, and anyone who wants to know what's happening on today's college campuses.

Named one of the Best Religion Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly

"Fascinating, disturbing...engaging...persuasive.... Freitas's work chronicles a poignant spiritual loss that students themselves articulate and mourn."
--Publishers Weekly

"Candid, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful....Throughout this beautifully written book, Freitas presents students' feelings and experiences in an unflinching yet compassionate way. You care about these young people and their struggles. This book is a great service to students, parents, and those at colleges and universities who want to prepare young adults not just for the workplace but for healthy and fulfilling lives."
--Christian Science Monitor
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. ISBN-10
    0195311655
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0195311655
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    April 11, 2008
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.3 x 1.4 x 6.5 inches
  8. Print length
    328 pages
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Boston University professor Freitas (also an occasional contributor to PW) explores college students' spiritual and sexual lives in this fascinating, disturbing book. With the exception of evangelical collegians, who are still gunning for marriage and trying to remain chaste until then, almost all of the young people Freitas interviewed were engaged in hookup culture, often exploring their sexuality with near strangers in the hopes of eventually finding someone to date. And with the exception of evangelical students, who allow their religious views to permeate all life choices, including sexual boundaries, most college students don't see much connection between their sexual behavior—which, in candid interviews, they often regret—and their spirituality, which is important to them. Freitas's tone is engaging and her writing persuasive. Of particular interest is her gender analysis of evangelical purity concepts, which expect young women to be chaste but passive as they wait for Prince Charming. Even more disturbing, the theme parties prevalent in hypersexualized hookup culture (in which young women may dress up as whores, maids or schoolgirls while their male counterparts are powerful CEOs, millionaires or professors) also place all the power in the hands of men. Freitas's work chronicles a poignant spiritual loss that students themselves articulate and mourn. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Freitas... has carried out the most extensive empirical research to date of college students' sexual practices, sexual ethics, sexual confusion, and sexual heartache... An unequivocal must-read for church leaders, college and seminary professors, and parents." --Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought

"In Sex and the Soul, Donna Freitas models a lovingly Catholic attention to evangelicals, a surprisingly evangelical attention to Catholics, and a passionate, creative attention to the desires of all college students. Freitas is America's foremost young writer on how religious traditions impact everyday life." --Tom Beaudoin, author of Consuming Faith

"Sex and the Soul is both disturbing and hopeful. Donna Freitas is a skilled and sympathetic interlocutor, and her prescriptions for addressing the 'hookup culture' merit serious consideration." --Randall Balmer, author of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America

"Relying on exhaustive research and analysis, this unflinching work delivers both a widely comprehensive and deeply intimate portrait of hook-up culture in this formidably spiritual generation, examining its contradictions, broken hearts, and impossible promises like no one has before. Sex and the Soul should be required reading for anyone interested in today's campus culture -- and tomorrow's adulthood." --Lauren Sandler, author of Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement

"How to explain the rise in the 'spiritual but not religious' option among U.S. college students? Might sex have something to do with it? In this provocative book, one of the country's foremost scholars of religion and youth culture answers this question with an emphatic YES! At the heart of this pathbreaking (and heartbreaking) book are the stories of college students 'searching alone' for ways to bring their bodies into conversation with their beliefs. Smart, learned, beautifully written, and above all humane -- this book should jump-start a national conversation on how the sexual revolution has trapped students as much as it has freed them." --Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- and Doesn't

Named one of the Best Religion Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly

''Fascinating, disturbing...Freitas's tone is engaging and her writing persuasive...Freitas's work chronicles a poignant spiritual loss that students themselves articulate and mourn.''--Publishers Weekly

"Candid, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful...Throughout this beautifully written book, Freitas presents students' feelings and experiences in an unflinching yet compassionate way. You care about these young people and their struggles. This book is a great service to students, parents, and those at colleges and universities who want to prepare young adults not just for the workplace but for healthy and fulfilling lives." --Christian Science Monitor

''Fascinating...provocative...Anyone with any interest in mentoring young people should read this book and its recommendations, because there's great hope and wisdom in them.'' --The Weekly Standard

''A wonderful, mind-clearing book...Freitas's book is a boon to anyone who not only cares about our nation's young people, but who has previously learned about this phenomenon only through rumors or anecdotes. Read her book, based on dozens of interviews, for the real scoop.'' --James Martin, SJ, America

''Freitas's book should scare Catholic parents into asking some honest questions early and often.... Freitas has opened those dorm rooms a crack and allowed us to hear how we're doing. We need to listen up.'' --Commonweal

"The level of technicality of the writing is formal but also easily understood. The author descibes her ideas and findings in general yet detailed ways and provide helpful definitions and explanations of terminology." --Hennie Weiss

"Sex and the Soul is s powerful read and excellent...The candid, eye-opening narrative removes the barriers of ignorance and equips individuals to dialogue more openly about spirituality and sexuality." --Christy Rowden

"In general, the book provides a quality read for those interested in how religion intersects with the sexual decision-making of young adults." --BYU Studies Quarterly

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 11, 2008
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195311655
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195311655
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 1.4 x 6.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Donna Freitas

Donna Freitas

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO is Donna Freitas’s first adult novel. She has spoken at nearly two hundred colleges and universities about her nonfiction work. She is the author of CONSENT: A MEMOIR OF UNWANTED ATTENTION, as well as ten novels for children and young adults. Donna has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe, and she has appeared on radio and television, from NPR’s All Things Considered to The Today Show. She has been a professor at Boston University and Hofstra University, and is currently a member of the faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s MFA program. Learn more at www.donnafreitas.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and well-written. They appreciate the information quality, with one customer noting the participants were very candid in the study.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it thought-provoking and a great read, with one customer noting its well-researched content.

"There's been a lot of very good material written in the past couple of years on the detrimental emotional and psychological effects that..." Read more

"...Participants were very candid in the study and it reveals some very interesting points about hook up culture and dating in the US." Read more

"...Good food for thought no matter what you believe." Read more

"I really appreciate the author's approach to this timely subject. Well researched, well written...." Read more

6 customers mention "Information quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the information quality of the book, with one customer noting the participants were very candid in the study, while another mentions the author does a great job of interviewing.

"...The author does a great job of interviewing and setting the stage for what it’s like to be a person of faith in college today...." Read more

"...Participants were very candid in the study and it reveals some very interesting points about hook up culture and dating in the US." Read more

"I really appreciate the author's approach to this timely subject. Well researched, well written...." Read more

"Learned text delivered promptly" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Michael Lima
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Examination Of A Troublesome Issue
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    There's been a lot of very good material written in the past couple of years on the detrimental emotional and psychological effects that unrestrained sexual behavior is having on American young adults; primarily college students. Donna Freitas' Sex and the Soul is a worthy addition to that material. The reason the book is as valuable as it is stems from the approach that Freitas took to present the information. As is the case with any scientific study, Freitas provides a factual definition of the issues through the use of raw data gathered through observation (in this case, surveys that she and her staff organized). However, instead of stopping with the data, she gives the study depth by incorporating comments from students on their views regarding sexuality and spirituality. The comments not only put a human face on the issues, they also make what would be a dry study readable. Both the data and the interviews bolster Freitas' conclusion that there is a discontentment with the options of promiscuity and chastity. In order to address this discontentment, Freitas develops practical recommendations for finding the middle ground between spiritual goals and sexual practice.

    As I stated earlier, Sex and the Soul is the latest addition to a body of material which persuasively argues that promiscuity as a means to explore one's sexuality is not an emotionally healthy lifestyle. What distinguishes Sex and the Soul from these other books is that Freitas respects the role that both spirituality (in either a religious setting or non-religious setting) and sexuality have in one's life. She takes pains to show that the issue doesn't need to have an "either/or" answer; but, is instead broad enough to allow for one to express sexuality within a religious context. Because of this even-handed approach, Sex and the Soul rises to the top of the list of books that have been written on this subject in the past few years.
    14 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jordan Slappey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book for class, but I actually enjoyed it! The author does a great job of interviewing and setting the stage for what it’s like to be a person of faith in college today. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to understand the struggles of being a Christian college student.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Stephanie, Orange County CA
    4.0 out of 5 stars Important for Christians who work with youth
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Sex & The Soul
    Sean McDowell

    For those of you who care about young people today, Sex & The Soul is a must read (Donna Freitas, Oxford Press, 2008). Freitas is a professor at Boston University who became interested in how college students relate religion to sexuality. She interviewed hundreds of college students from public, private, and evangelical schools and amassed data from thousands more through online surveys. What she founds was eye-opening, alarming, and yet hopeful.

    One of the most significant findings of the book is that dating, as is typically conceived, is virtually non-existent on college campuses (with the exception of evangelical schools). She says, "According to students...most relationships develop like this: one night after a party, two people hook up, then it happens again, then it becomes a regular thing, and eventually they find that they are in a relationship...If any coffees, dinners, or `just talking' romantic encounters occurred with these students, these experiences typically happened after multiple hookups and the decision to become a couple...Students don't see many avenues to committed relationships aside from hooking up" (139). Thus, most students go on dates only after they've been sexually intimate for quite some time. At most universities the hook up has replaced the first date. The old formula was dating first, and then sex. Now it's sex first, and then dating.

    One of the most popular (and growing) college activities is theme parties. They have become a campus tradition at many schools. They are often labeled, "naked parties," "maids and millionaires," "lingerie parties," "professors and schoolgirls," and "jock pros and sport ho's." At theme parties, male students dress up as CEOs, sports jocks, and millionaires, while girls dress suggestively as whores. At some parties, reports Freitas, many girls have to wear lingerie or "next to nothing" to get in. The explosion in the growth of these parties can be directly linked to the wide accessibility of porn. While there have been "wild" college parties going on for some time, theme parties drop the bar of sexual standards to a new low.

    While the hook up culture is rampant on college campuses, it was surprising to read how many students, according to Freitas, are deeply unsatisfied with it. Many think hook ups hurt their ability to form lasting relationships and healthy friendships. In fact, 41% of students used words such as regretful, shameful, disgusted, miserable, used, dirty, awkward, empty, alone, and duped when describing their experience (152). If they are so unsatisfied, then why do many continue? One reason is that hook ups seem easier than steady relationships as students are simply so busy today with school, sports, work, friendships, and partying. It takes effort (and potential heartbreak) to begin a relationship. Second, students simply see no alternative to their behavior. Their professors, parents, and church leaders either avoid the subject entirely, or seem hopelessly out of date.

    What role does religion play in the sex lives of college students? According to Freitas, the answer is none. Many students were shocked at the question itself, and others laughed that religions would have anything to contribute to sexuality. College campuses today (with the exclusion of some evangelical schools) are predominantly secular. Students compartmentalize any faith commitments they have during their college years. And the professors reinforce this view. "Regardless of its origin, students at nonreligious institutions experience a separation of church and college" says Freitas, "an expulsion of religion from the public square that is so extreme that many of them are rendered mute on the subject" (35). Freitas says, "The dominant but implicit attitude on campus, not just among students but also perceived among faculty and administrators, is that spirituality and religion are private--not matters for public consumption" (217). Religion simply does not inform the sexual decisions of the vast majority of college students today.

    Those of us who work with youth cannot ignore these critical insights.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Teresa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Are you interested in the social culture of college students especially with regards to religion? If so, you should read this book. If not, you should still read this. The book is based on the author's study of students at various universities ranging from public schools to private evangelical colleges. Participants were very candid in the study and it reveals some very interesting points about hook up culture and dating in the US.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Steve Conn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely essential
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I just received my master's degree in higher education and this book was part of my curriculum. It really sheds a lot of light on the topic of students' views of sexuality, and it looks into how Christians and non Christians view it differently. It written from an interesting perspective. The Author is a nominal Catholic who is certainly not anti-religion, but she does not subscribe to the same views as mainstream evangelical Christians. Good food for thought no matter what you believe.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • John Conger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very pleased.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I really appreciate the author's approach to this timely subject. Well researched, well written. I ordered both the print version and the Kindle version.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Andrew Borden
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Learned text delivered promptly
    Helpful
     Report
  • KiwiZ
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Very thought provoking book on a subject that is extremely important, yet rarely discussed IMO. While the statistical analysis was a bit dry to me, the interviews, suggestions and observations were fascinating and gave me much to consider. I've used this book to open interesting conversations and would recommend it to others to read
    Helpful
     Report