The Divinity of Sex: The Search for Ecstacy in a Secular Age

A priest of the Church of England explores the correlation between sex and finding God in everyday life, discussing how sex has influenced modern ideals of art, nature, marriage, and the clergy, and suggests that today sex is for those who do not get enough religion. 25,000 first printing."

From Booklist
Curious about our "all-consuming interest in sex," Pickstone–a vicar and an art critic–began studying the complex mythology of sexuality and concluded that "sex has taken on many of the functions once performed by religion." That is a richly provocative thesis, and Pickstone, whose sound judgment, wit, love of intellectual adventure, and deep regard for human nature are palpable, approached his research with equal measures of meticulousness and enthusiasm. His basic argument is that the steady secularization of religion has all but eliminated avenues of heightened spiritual experiences and that the intrinsically human need for transcendence and ecstasy has been channeled into our visions of sexuality. That has engendered much conflict, romanticization, and frustration. Pickstone examines each facet of obsession in his deft analysis of the portrayal of sex in art, literature, philosophy, psychology, and pop culture, offering fresh and intriguing perspectives on the link between spiritual and sexual development, sex and nature, sex and the concept of holy matrimony, and sex as paradise and hell. Donna Seaman