In the spirit of the Renaissance pioneers whom he respects so much, Thomas Moore continues to expand his horizons and to deepen the roots of his explication of soul. In this enthralling work, which is a natural follow-up to The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, he ponders the life-affirming dimensions of sex, eros, pleasure, the human body, and the body of the world. Using illustrative material from mythology, literature, popular culture, and religion, he proves himself to be a superb cartographer of the soul of sex.
"We have a habit of talking about sex as merely physical and yet nothing has more soul," Moore notes. "Sex takes us into a world of intense passion, sensual touch, exciting fantasies, many levels of meaning, and subtle emotions. It makes the imagination come alive with fantasy, reverie and memory." With startling originality he writes cogently about the sexuality of Jesus, the spiritual meaning of celibacy, the erotic life of things, and the Epicurean life. Along the way Moore offers insightful takes on sexism, pornography, moralism, materialism, and other modern-day forms of soullessness.
In one of the best chapters, we are treated to a vision of sex as "the religion of a marriage" with its own rituals, prayers, contemplation, and communion. The Soul of Sex is a rich stew of ideas, practices, and philosophy about infusing eros and pleasure into our private and public lives.
