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SEXUALITY DEFINED: JUDEO-CHRISTIAN INFLUENCES - THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION DURING THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REFORMATION

With the coming of the Renaissance and the Reformation (1400-1650) sexual values and codes changed, at least for those who adopted Protestant views. Martin Luther, in his Treatise of Good Works, ultimately rejected the Church's emphasis on celibacy, which he reserved for only those few individuals who were able to resist their sexual impulses. Consequently, and in contrast to Catholic tradition, sex in the context of marriage was entirely proper. Calvin essentially agreed with Luther that celibacy was not for everyone, and he was even more positive regarding the appropriateness of sex in marriage. No compromise was to be made, however, with the traditional sexual deviations: fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc. In sum, marital sex became theologically acceptable in the sixteenth century. Although its pleasurable dimensions were still not directly acknowledged, the day when sex was considered intrinsically evil had clearly passed (Murstein, 1974).

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