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Hardcover
Publisher: Routledge
Compare worldwide religious regulations involving gay sex and masculinity! Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods: An Exploration into the Religious Significance of Male Homosexuality in World Perspective is an eye-opening look at the traditions of particular religions and their edicts concerning gay sex. This book examines the origins of holy directives involving homosexuality—whether forbidden, tolerated, or mandatory—and establishes a link between theology, sex roles, and the sensitive issue of masculinity. This text draws a parallel between homosexuality and the idea of religion, suggesting that gay rights can be understood as a freedom of religion issue. While most readers are familiar with the traditional Islamic, Christian, and Hebrew prohibitions against sex between two males, this book also reveals other historic religions from around the world that neither opposed nor looked down on homosexuality. Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods argues that masculinity is the universal theme that formed historical interpretation—warriors and men of high status could not be sexually receptive or "feminine" and still be called "men." This intriguing text shows how the modern homophile movements are in effect redefining masculinity to obliterate the stigma of being a sexually receptive man. Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods examines the significance of homosexuality in such religions as: the Sambians of New Guinea
the Taoists of Ancient China
Plato and the later Stoics
Islamic Sufism
Native American culture
Hebrew Scriptures
early Christianity
Buddhism Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods is an enlightening book that honors homosexual claims to moral integrity and appreciates religion and religious figures without rancor. Easy-to-read and free of technical language, this volume is for anyone who has an academic, professional, or personal interest in theology and homosexuality. The author is available for speaking engagements and can be contacted at Ronldlong@aol.com
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| Spirituality |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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Long, Ron. "Men, Homosexuality and the Gods", Haworth Press, 2004.
Spirituality
Amos Lassen
Ron Long has attempted to do something very different in the field of gay studies by venturing into the issue of religion and homosexuality. He looks at the traditions of particular religions and their edicts on gay sex. Long looks at the early writings and directives on homosexuality from three points of view---toleration, forbidden and whether or not it was mandatory. He then attempts to find to find links between theology, sex roles, and masculinity. What the text does is draw a parallel between the idea of a religion and homosexuality and further suggests that gay rights can be understood as an issue of freedom of religion. I think that most of us are aware of the views of the three major religions and their prohibitions against gay sex and Long goes a step more and shows that other historic religions neither looked down upon nor opposed it. He argues that masculinity is a universal theme that formed historical interpretation and that men who were warriors or held status could practice the feminine role and still be regarded as men by their peers and religion. Long then goes on to show how modern gay movements are redefining masculinity in order to erase the stigma of being a man is sexually receptive. Some of the religions looked at are Taoism of ancient China, Stoicism. Sufism, the Hebrew scriptures and early Christianity and Buddhism.
Long's thesis just does not hold up. There is no hard logic here and little reasoned fact. It is not the feminism of men that offends religion but rather the hedonism of male/male relations. There is no sustainable argument and I found that the book simply reinforces the prejudices that exist. If you think rationally, this is not the book for you.
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| Disappointing |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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This book was very disappointing, by the title you would think that this book has useful information about the different religions and how homosexuality plays a part in that religion. I could only force myself to read half of this book before I got sick of the author constantly talking about homosexuality as humiliating and ridiculous. Having researched Native American tradition and Wicca I have come to know that neither of these traditions look down on homosexuality as being humiliation or ridiculous. This book is not at all what it appears to be.
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| Pathetically Weak on Argument - Empty Assertions |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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Bought this book hoping for a properly constructed thesis, very disappointing. If you don't subscribe to his thesis to begin with that the world is agin men being receptive like women, and that religions that disdain homosexuality are in fear of losing their patriarchal structure; ie. receptive male intercourse undermines male hierarchy and confuses sexual roles - well if you don't accept this to start with you won't after reading this book.
It would be good to read a proper logical argument instead of frantic efforts to heap sand into ramparts before the tide of critical opinion comes in and washes these soluble ramparts away; but I have not yet found it, and this book doesn't either.
It is actually quite pathetic, there is an absence of hard logic or reasoned fact. Men may well engage in same-sex relations because it pleasures them, or for some dysfunctional reason; it is the hedonism that offends religion, not the feminist line about threats to male hierarchy...............then again Dr Long can hardly use "penis envy" as a rationale but otherwise he re-hashes feminist jargon to pose some great threat to male family structures if one of them decides to bend over and be receptive to male advances.
It is like tackling a souffle; the book has no coherent argument and merely reinforces existing prejudices; if you want to believe this nonsensical thesis you will enjoy the book provided you are not given to rational thought; otherwise you will feel you have just read some flaccid prose in a third-rate magazine.............maybe you have !
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| A Must Read on the Whole "Bible-Homo" Question |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Professor Long provides a much needed and long awaited treatment of homosexuality in religious perspectives. His focus on the issues of "gender-threat" and its relation to why some religions are antagonistic to male homosexuality is right on target. He combines his knowledge of religious traditions with a cultural eye that gives the reader tremendous insight. I devoured this book, as should anyone interested in the whole "bible-homo" question.
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