Sex and the Soul Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses

by Freitas, Donna; Winner, Lauren

• ISBN13: 9780195311655
• ISBN10: 0195311655
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-04-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Today's college students are fascinated by religion but they are also more sexually active than previous generations. How do these young people reconcile their spiritual longings with sexual freedom on campus? Based on dozens of face-to-face interviews, Sex and the Soul explores the sexual and spiritual lives of today's college students. Donna Freitas crisscrossed the country, visiting a range of America's colleges and universities--from public to private, Catholic to evangelical--to find out what students had to say about these highly personal subjects. Their stories will not only engage readers, but, in many cases, move them with the painful struggles these candid young women and men face. Indeed, the book uncovers aspects of college life that may unsettle some readers, especially parents. Many campuses, for instance, are dominated by the hook-up culture of casual sex. Moreover, a surprising number of students see little connection between sex and religion. Indeed, these observations hold true even at Catholic schools. Only at evangelical colleges is religion an important factor when deciding whether or not to engage in sex. But Freitass research also reveals that, even at secular schools, students are not comfortable with the prevalence of casual sex, and that they do want religion to speak about what they should do and who they should try to be--not just what they should avoid doing. Sex and the Soul will offer readers the chance to hear college students speaking honestly about extremely sensitive topics, in a book that will be of great interest to students, parents, clergy, teachers, and anyone who wants to know whats happening on today's college campuses.

Author Biography

Donna Freitas is Assistant Professor of Religion at Boston University. She is the author of several books including, Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman's Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials. A regular contributor to Beliefnet and Publishers Weekly, she has also written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Christian Century, and School Library Journal, and she has appeared as a commentator on NPR's All Things Considered.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xxi
Introduction: Welcome to College. Meet Amy Stone: Tour Guide, Fashion Model, Straight-A Student	p. 3
The Varieties of College Religious Experience
The Spiritual Colleges: Souls Adrift	p. 25
Why Catholic Schools (and Their Students) Are "Spiritual but Not Religious"	p. 43
Evangelical Extroverts: Faithful and Diverse	p. 57
The Romantic Ideal
Evangelical Purity Culture: Its Princesses and Warriors	p. 75
Wanted: A Little Romance	p. 93
The Truth About Sex On Campus
Where Dating=Marriage and a Kiss Means Everything	p. 113
Hookups, Ho's, and Losing It	p. 126
Reconciling Sex and the Soul (or Not) on Campus
God vs. My Boyfriend	p. 167
Dividing Sex from the Soul: Why Religion Doesn't Matter When It Comes to Sex	p. 194
Conclusions and Practical Implications
Seeking a Sexy Spirituality for Students on Campus	p. 211
A Practical Guide to Sex and the Soul: Three Musts for Your College To-Do List, What to Say to Your Child, Student, Parishioner, Friend	p. 229
On Methodology	p. 243
Notes	p. 253
Index	p. 285
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