Sexuality, partnership, and marriage present us with some of the most difficult life challenges and questions of our time. With social attitudes in constant flux, some of these questions seem almost unanswerable. What is a healthy relationship? What is the role a partner--whether male or female? What is the place of sexuality in a relationship? Are marriage and monogamy still relevant in the twenty-first century? In this invaluable collection of accessible interviews and lectures, the author deals with these and many other questions with refreshing candor. Having gained much knowledge from his many years of work as a priest, marriage counselor, and studies of Anthroposophy, Gädeke's approach is full of spiritual insight, as well as frank, practical, and down-to-earth. Some of the themes discussed are overcoming blocks to communication; finding one's essential self within a marriage; the role of children in a relationship; sexuality and children; perversions; the role of counseling; relationships and monogamy; the concept of marriage and its spiritual repercussions; biological and soul differences; and, the fundamental sexual polarity of man and woman.

This A-Z guide assists people-helpers--pastors, professional counselors, youth workers, and everyday believers--to easily access a full array of information to aid them in (formal and informal) counseling situations.

Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender examines contemporary debates about the meaning and value of marriage. The book analyzes arguments for traditional marriage, including those of neonaturalists, utilitarians, and communitarians or virtue theorists. The volume also considers a range of feminist, welfarist, and liberationist arguments for ending the institution altogether. It evaluates two major reform movements: one focused on expanding marriage to include same-sex couples and the other focused on the use of law to render marriage more internally just. The book concludes with a plea to activists to redirect "marriage equality" movements toward the creation of an entirely secular "civil union law" that would respect a broader range of private life-long commitments, including but not limited to same- and opposite-sex couples, without threatening the role of religious marriage in the lives of those who embrace it and without penalizing nonparticipants.

Why did it take so long for the United Church of Canada to respond to violence against women? Tracy J. Trothen looks at the United Church as a uniquely Canadian institution, and explores how it has approached gender and sexuality issues. She argues that how the Church deals with these issues influences its ability to name violence against women. In examining the Church’s early approaches to gender and sexuality, Tracy J. Trothen discovered that the United Church had tended to see certain structures or roles as sacred and others as demonic. For example, while sex outside marriage was bad or improper, sexual expression within marriage was largely deemed as proper or good, no matter what manifestation it took. This assumption allowed much violence within families and marriages to go unchallenged. Trothen uncovers significant shifts in this approach through the examination of such issues as redemptive homes, marriage, pornography, abortion, the ordination of women, and family. Then, analyzing three recent case studies, she demonstrates the value of women’s voices in challenging dominant world views. Finally, she suggests how the Church’s approach to human sexuality and gender has facilitated or obstructed the move to address violence against women. The findings in Linking Sexuality and Gender can be applied to faiths outside the United Church and will be important to anyone interested in church and society, sexuality, gender, or the causal dynamics behind one Canadian institution’s response to violence against women. Tracy J. Trothen is an assistant professor of systematic theology and ethics, and director of field education at Queen’s Theological College, Queen’s University, Canada. She was ordained in the United Church of Canada. Why did it take so long for the United Church of Canada to respond to violence against women?

The editor’s bring together major scholars from the diversity of fields working on close relationship topics to examine past contributions and new directions in sexuality. The emphasis is on theoretical integration and stimulation, methodological r

Fully revised and updated with the latest data in the field, the Sixth Edition of Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality represents all aspects of human sexuality and explores how it affects personality, development, and decision making. Using a student-friendly interpersonal approach, the text discusses contemporary concepts as well as controversial topics in a sensitive manner, and covers the physiological, biological, psychological, spiritual, and cultural dimensions of human sexuality. Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality is an essential text for teaching sexuality and presents an integrated view of human sexuality that encourages students to pursue positive decisions, sexual health, and a lifetime of wellness.

How does sexual behavior change over one's life-span? How does sexual satisfaction affect the quality and stability of marriage? How has the AIDS epidemic affected sexual attitudes in America over the past three decades? In this wide-reaching volume, distinguished sociologist Alice S. Rossi addresses these questions and others through fourteen diverse essays on sexual behavior, covering adolescence through old age and studying such groups as singles, married couples, and homosexuals. This extensive study also explores the effects of chronic disease and medication on sexual functioning, recent developments in psychotherapy for sexual problems, and sexual abuse of children, incest, and rape. "The interdisciplinary nature of the project has resulted in a text that is accessible to anyone with a behavioral science background. Well written, well edited, and well received by this reviewer."—Joan C. Chrisler, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy "This is a book that needs to be on the bookshelf of any AIDS researcher."—AIDS Book Review Journal

Reports the complete results of the United States' most comprehensive representative survey of sexual practices in the general adult population.

Since the landmark 1965 Supreme Court ruling Griswold v. Connecticut established a Constitutional right to privacy, the regulation of sexuality has become an extremely volatile area of American politics. From reproductive rights to sex education, pornography to gay marriage, the balance between community norms and individual autonomy has been fiercely contested. These and related subjects are often viewed in isolation, as though they were entirely separate issues. Yet as the documentary record makes clear, they are in fact closely interrelated, and their impact is cumulative. By addressing a broad array of topics at the intersection of sexuality and politics, this volume highlights the connections and makes an important contribution to a debate that touches every American. Taking as a starting point the 1965 Griswold decision—sometimes said to have launched the sexual revolution—the approximately 100 primary source documents assembled here either mark watersheds in themselves or are representative of a broad range of political developments. The documents are drawn from all quarters of U.S. political life. They include legislative texts; proposed laws and constitutional amendments; state and federal court rulings; political party platforms; and interest-group position statements.

Many couples are matrimonial illiterates. One of the areas of marriage where they are deficient in knowledge and have ever wished to be enlightened is the area of Sexuality. This book discusses sexuality within the bounds of marriage. It is very insightful, instructive and comprehensive, yet with an eye on sound moral standard. The author sees Sexuality as sacred and one of the most beautiful gifts from God. In this masterpiece, he educates couples on the nitty gritty of actualizing a fulfilling sexual life in their marriage. This book combines Theology, Psychology and Biology to achieve its objectives. To put it succinctly, it is a loaded, morally sound and riveting package of sex education for todays husbands and wives. Though written for the consumption of married people, other adults who are preparing to get married can still read it.