Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition

"America's favorite sex therapist probably best known for making the word orgasm a TV talk show favorite, collaborates with Jewish Week editor Mark in a more significant accomplishment-a thoughtful study of the roles of sexuality in Judaica." --Booklist Dr. Ruth bridges the gap between sex and religionIn this light-hearted, lively tour of sexuality within Jewish religion and culture, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Jonathan Mark team up to reveal how, contrary to popular wisdom, the Jewish tradition is much more progressive in many regards than one might think. Applying Dr. Ruth's unique brand of couples therapy to such Biblical relationships as Abraham and Sarah, and Joseph and Potiphar's wife, the authors enlist Biblical lore to cover such topics as surrogacy, incest, and arranged marriages. They offer a clearer understanding of the intertwining relationships between sexuality, spirituality, and sexual roles through a look at the latter books of the Bible--The Song of Songs, Ruth, Proverbs, Psalms, and some of the bawdier tales of the Prophets. One chapter provides a provocative metaphorical perspective on the Sabbath as a weekly revival, highlighting not only its spiritual, but its marital and sexual aspects as well.Focusing specifically on Orthodox forms of Judaism and offering Dr. Ruth's singular interpretations, the book answers such questions as: What night of the week is best for making love? How often should couples have sex? Can traditional Jewish notions of sex and sexuality be reconciled with contemporary beliefs? What roles can and do dreams and fantasy play? Heavenly Sexfamiliarizes the reader with a generous and lusty religious tradition that has too often been lost within the rubric of a larger Christian culture with a completely different view of sexuality.Jonathan Mark is the author of 'Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition', published 1995 under ISBN 9780814792681 and ISBN 0814792685.