Front cover image for Chaste liberation : celibacy and female cultural status

Chaste liberation : celibacy and female cultural status

Sex is not a simple concept. Focusing on the issue of celibacy, the author explores the cultures of three post-Civil War utopian communities and their relation to female status in American society. From her examination of the Shakers, Koreshans, and Sanctificationists, the author concludes that the adoption of celibacy promoted theoretical sexual equality and female social power in those religious groups. -- Bookjacket
Print Book, English, ©1989
University of Illinois Press, Urbana, ©1989