Women, celibacy, and the church : toward a theology of the single life / Annemarie S. Kidder.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kidder, Annemarie S.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Celibacy--Christianity--History of doctrines.

Celibacy.

Chastity--History of doctrines.

Chastity.

Women--Religious aspects--Christianity--History of doctrines.

Women.

Women--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Celibacy--Christianity.

Physical Description:

ix, 294 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Crossroad Pub., 2003.

Summary:

In our world today, many single and celibate people find themselyes isolated on all sides. In the secular culture with its glorification obsexual behavior, celibacy is seen as restrictive, a denial of one's deepest nature. In religious circles, for anyone but Roman Catholie priests, being single is often seen as a temporary and unfortunate stage in life something to be stoically endured until marriage. But in fact millions of people in the pews of Profestant Episcopal and Catholic churches every week are living a single life, and many are happy to stay that way. Whether widowed, never married, or divorced, many believers understand their single lives not as a passing moment but as a celebratory way of life rich in its own benefits and rewards. In this book Annemarie Kidder offers the theological basis for what so many Christians experience in their own lives. By examining be Hebrew and Christian scriptures early church writings from the East and West and later commentators, she develops a theology of the single life applicable to both women and men. Protestan, Episcopal, and Catholic. This book is a must-read for all single Christians, both those who feel called to remain single and those who for whatever reason find themselves single for long periods of time.

Contents:

Celibacy or Singleness? 5

1. Celibacy, Sexuality, and Wholeness 9

Toward a Definition of Celibacy 9

Celibacy as Spiritual Gift 12

Celibacy and Marriage 13

Celibacy and Sexuality 14

Women and Sexuality 18

Women, Intimacy, and Self-Love 23

2. Celibacy and the Bible 29

Celibacy in the Old Testament 29

Virginity 29

Chastity 34

The Unmarried State 35

Eunuchs 38

Celibacy in the New Testament 40

Virginity 40

Chastity 45

The Unmarried State 46

Eunuchs 49

New Developments 51

Luke-Acts 53

3. Celibacy in the Early Church 64

Acts of the Apostles Peter and Paul 64

Acts of Paul and Thecla 65

Acts of Barnabas 70

Acts of Philip 70

Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew 75

Acts of Peter and Andrew 76

Acts and Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Apostle 79

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas 82

Consummation of Thomas the Apostle 95

Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew 96

Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian 98

4. Early Theological Perspectives on Celibacy: The Church Fathers 104

Narrative and Reality 104

The Early Church Fathers 108

Tertullian (160-220) 108

Origen (185-254) 112

Methodius (260-312) 116

The Eastern Church Fathers 121

Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) 121

John Chrysostom (347-407) 126

The Latin Fathers of the West 131

Ambrose (339-397) 131

Jerome (342-420) 136

Augustine (354-430) 142

5. Theological Developments on Celibacy I: the Church Fathers and the Reformation 150

The Church Fathers: A Summary 150

Arguments from Scripture on Celibacy 151

Arguments to Justify Marriage 152

Celibacy for the Few 154

Celibacy and Faithful Discipleship 155

The Gift of Prophecy 155

The Gift of Martyrdom 155

Internalized and Postponed Rewards 157

Other Developments 160

Infant Baptism 160

Freedom of Choice 161

Celibacy Requirement for Clergy in the Western Church 161

Lowering the Status of Celibate Women 164

The Reformation 165

Martin Luther (1483-1546) 168

John Calvin (1509-1564) 183

6. Theological Developments on Celibacy II: The Reformation until Today 191

The Reformers: A Summary 191

Arguments in Favor of Celibacy 193

Arguments in Favor of Marriage 194

Celibacy for the Few 195

Celibacy and Faithful Discipleship 196

Other Developments 197

Freedom of Choice 197

Celibacy Requirement for Clergy 198

The Status of Celibate Women 199

The Post-Reformation and Subsequent Developments 200

Celibacy in Protestantism 216

The Deaconess Movement 217

Female Foreign Missionaries 219

Other Celibate Communities 222

Marriage, Celibacy, and the Church Today 226

Conclusion: Toward a Theology of the Single Life 241.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-285) and index.

ISBN:

0824521102

OCLC:

52108887