"Here at last--unexpectedly from the pen of a German theologian--comes the definitive study of the oppression of women in Western society. The tale Uta Ranke-Heinemann has to tell--fascinating and horrifying by turns--begins with ancient, pre-Christian taboos and the relatively healthy attitudes of the ancient Jews toward sexual matters. Dr. Ranke-Heinemann confronts us with the incontrovertible evidence that the early Christians chose, not the Jewish perspective, but the pessimistic pagan models of sexual conduct. In this vivid, richly documented report, Dr. Ranke-Heinemann proves that for most of its twenty centuries the Catholic Church (as the principal voice and institutional focus of worldwide Christendom) has been cruelly manipulating and mutilating the sexuality of believers. From the Apostle Paul to Pope John Paul II, the church has denigrated sex, degraded women, and championed a perverse ideal of celibacy. It has glorified Mary's virginity, implying that all normal conception and childbearing are somehow polluted. It has denied the undeniable fact that Jesus had brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55). It has damned birth control, while blessing "rhythm." It has campaigned fiercely against masturbation, which is never mentioned, much less forbidden, in the Bible. With a sort of crazy consistency, it has even banned the use of condoms by AIDS patients. As a loyal, but doggedly critical Catholic, Ranke-Heinemann demands that the Church acknowledge the enormous casualties of its age-old war against genital pleasure. Her incisive account of that war challenges both Christian and non-Christian readers to re-examine the fateful role of religion in shaping the sexual behavior of the Western World." -- Provided by publisher