God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says

The Bible is full of narratives about sexual encounters. Modern-day readers have shown a widespread interest in what, exactly, it says about the subject. Scholars rigorously examine the Bible from historical, theological, and ethical perspectives, but many clergy and laypeople view these words (even the most cryptic, confusing, and bizarre ones) as authoritative, literal statements. Additionally, these misinterpreted texts are constantly used to legislate morality and promote "family values"-selectively and misleadingly twisting what was written. In GOD AND SEX, Michael Coogan helps bridge the gulf between scholarly understanding and popular appropriation by looking at what the Bible says about sex within the context of its social world. Only by understanding how ancient authors viewed issues of sexuality-fidelity, adultery, premarital sex, homo- and heterosexual relations-can we effectively apply their reflections to modern thinking.

Michael Coogan is Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum and Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College. For several decades, he has taught an introductory course on the Hebrew Scriptures at Harvard University, as well as at Wellesley College, Boston College, and Stonehill College. One of the leading biblical scholars in the United States, he is the author of The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, and editor of the acclaimed third edition of The New Oxford Annotated Bible.