Routledge Christianity and Sexuality in the Early Modern World

Explore the complex relationship between religious belief and human behavior in this comprehensive scholarly work from Routledge. Christianity and Sexuality in the Early Modern World examines how Christian ideas and institutions functioned to regulate and shape sexual norms from the era of Luther and Columbus through the time of Thomas Jefferson. This book provides a global perspective, moving beyond a single region to offer a wide-ranging study. Readers can examine the historical development of sexual conduct across Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Europe, as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and North America. By looking at various geographic areas, the text offers a complete view of how religious frameworks impacted societies worldwide. Through detailed analysis, the text covers essential historical topics including marriage and divorce, clerical sexuality, fornication, and illegitimacy. It is a valuable resource for those studying the history of religion, social norms, and the evolution of legal and moral practices in the early modern period.