A History of Celibacy By Elizabeth Abbott Written from a feminist perspective, this book is a provocative and entertaining exploration of both male and female celibacy from the ancient world through to modern times. ISBN-13: 9780718830069 Specifications: 240x158mm, 448pp, Paperback Price: £15.00 • US$32.50 Publication: February 2001 Order this Title Now

About this Book

Joan of Arc was one. So was Sir Isaac Newton. A monk vows to be one. A prisoner has no choice. History tells of many avowed celibates, and today’s society reflects a renewed interest in celibacy. But what causes people to give up sex, the very activity that drives, fascinates, troubles, and delights so many of the rest of us?

Elizabeth Abbott’s exploration of celibacy debunks the traditionally held notion that celibacy is a predominantly religious concept of little concern to the secular world. Chosen or imposed for myriad reasons, celibacy actually is a practice that reveals a host of telling insights about our sexual desires and drives, as well as our changing attitudes toward religion, gender, and physical health. A History of Celibacy humanises celibacy through the ages, from the vestal virgins of ancient Rome who were entombed alive if they broke their vows, to contemporary athletes who ‘conserve semen’ to enhance their game.

While most people associate institutional celibacy with Catholicism, Abbott shows how virtually every culture and religion through history has incorporated it in some form. Her examples range from Judaism’s rules regarding abstinence during menstruation to Hinduism’s forced celibacy for widows.

Written from a feminist perspective, the book paints a dual portrait of celibacy as both emancipator and enslaver of women and the poor. Yet the book’s focus is not solely on women. It recounts for instance the forced castration of Italy’s young male sopranos, and tells why impoverished Chinese boys and men became eunuchs for the Emperor.

The extremes to which people will go to abstain from sexual activity or to prevent others from having sex is an intriguing thread through a serious book.

Reviews and Comments

"And you thought celibacy could only be dull, unimpassioned stuff. Elizabeth Abbott has written the definitive history of a subject most of us want nothing to do with, and it’s a fascinating, lively and moving tome indeed ... Abbott takes us into the lives of celibates, both willing and forced, noble and deluded, throughout history and across continent and cultures. A stimulating book."
McGill News

"A juicy insightful survey, as readable as it is intellectually sophisticated, alternately witty and moving. Abbott documents a thousand shades of motive for saying no to sex. She manages to describe extreme behavior without sinking into either anachronistic psychologizing or valueless relativism. It’s a remarkably effective approach to a topic that might easily inspire jokes or judgement."
Village Voice Literary Supplement

"Celibacy seems an odd topic for a witty and compelling book, but Elizabeth Abbott manages to make her subject fascinating."
Bookpage.com

"A History of Celibacy explores the full length of that fascinating shadow, tracing the history of self-containment from the mythical virgins of the Greeks and Romans to a new celibacy in the age of AIDS, with stops along the way to examine such strange fauna as Leonardo da Vinci and Mahatma Gandhi, John Ruskin and Joan of Arc."
Elle

"Based on a great deal of knowledge but told with grace, wit and a wry sense of the conditions under which women live. Abbott seems to have read just about everything ever written on her chosen subject. This is a bulky book but not difficult to read and its pleasures are many. Elizabeth Abbott appends an astute select bibliography that runs to 22 pages, providing a further reason for buying her book."
The Globe and Mail (Canada)

"Elegantly chronicles expressions of celibacy through the ages."
Elm Street (Canada)

"A History of Celibacy is a fresh take on the history of sex which is perhaps why this juicy tome was a surprise best seller in Canada."
Entertainment Weekly

"Ambitious and wide-ranging ... she make a convincing case that throughout much of history celibacy, was an attractive option for women."
The New Yorker

About the Author

With a doctorate in 19th century history, Elizabeth Abbott is Dean of Women Students at Trinity College, University of Toronto, where she co-teaches a history course. She is also a journalist specialising in social history and the environment, her work having appeared in the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail. She is Chair of the Rights and Freedoms committee of the Writers’ Union of Canada, and writer for the Sensible Creatures committee of the Anglican Church. Her first book was praised by Graham Greene as "The best book in depth on the Haitian situation that I have ever read."