Seventh Post: THE BODY AND SOCIETY--- BY: Peter Brown.

In this book, I sought to find an argument that supported my claim of the Church and the Early Church Fathers having been opposed to sexuality in general, not loving homosexual relationships. This was supported by Brown continually highlighting the fact that the Fathers supported continence in both the clergy and, by often more radical members, the laity. The book itself, Brown states in the first sentence, is a study on "the practice of permanent sexual renunciation." Brown then cites the questionably-Orthodox early Christian writer Origen, a "towering genius" when it comes to the "development of notions on sexuality..." Brown continues by pointing out many specific cases of sexual renunciation by early Christians. The list includes Saint Eupraxia, a woman who slept on hard ashes "to tame her body at the time when her periods first began." And the Desert Fathers who moved into the desert for several reasons including the fight against sexuality. Brown then remarks on how the attitude towards sexuality has formed from the Apostle Paul to the fifth century. The arguments of Clement of Alexandria among others were also illuminated in Brown's book in a way which helped to progress his argument of sexuality contiually having to be dealt with. In the end, one of the big questions of the book was this: "... Why did Christians appear to write so much about sex?" The answer, simply put, is because they had to. Ranging from virgins such as St. Macrina the Younger to the zealous Encratites (a group not seen as Orthodox.) all had comments on the topic and even the Stoics who had an affect on St. Clement of Alexandria, another influential author, dealt with the subject. Denial of sexuality, Brown notices, also has to do with world-denial which was very important to the ascetics of then and now. While Brown does seem at times to center on the Latin, Catholic traditon, he also mentions influential Orthodox thinkers such as Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius of Pontus, Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea, John Climacus, and Philoxenus of Mabbug. This fusion serves to cover all aspects of Christianity, but for this study, the Orthodox members will be looked more closely at. Looking at several historic views of sexuality, including Stoicism, Marcion, Tatian, and the Encratites, Brown then built into the Christian view. This progression served his purpose wonderfully (i.e. illustratig the questions sexuality has always stirred for people.)