Like all ancient literatures, the Bible reflects the sexual attitudes and customs of its times. The OT outlook may best be summarized by considering the positive view, followed by a look at the negative or pessimistic one. The NT attitudes can be seen principally in the point of view of Christ and St. Paul.

In the Old Testament. The basic idea in the OT concerning sex is that it is essentially a good thing. God created man male and female, blessed them with fertility, and saw that all His creation was very good. The two sexes reflected God by filling the earth and subduing it through the exercise of this blessing (Gn 1.27-31).

The Hebrew saw the individual as part of society. Hence, a man's sex life was not his alone, but part of the clan or family affairs. Sex was respected as a reverent duty, a fulfillment of the covenant (Tb 6.11-13; 8.5-7 in the LXX). The rite of *circumcision (Gn 17.1-14) was originally an initiation to marriage and family life and became a sign of God's promise of fruitfulness.

Sex had meaning only in marriage, and misuse of it violated the marriage rights of others (Ex 20.14; Gn 20.6; Lv 18.20; etc.). The ideal picture was that of Joseph refusing the advances of Phutiphar's wife (Gn 39.9) or of Susanna preferring to die rather than to commit adultery (Dn 13.23). *Adultery was repeatedly condemned (Jer 29.23; Jb 31.9-12; Prv 2.16; Sir 23.23; Wis 14.26). Rape, loss of virginity while still in one's father's house, and prostitution were repudiated (Gn 34.7; Dt 22.21; 2 Sm 13.12; Prv 23.27; 29.3; 31.3). Religious *prostitution, common in Canaan, was especially wrong (Dt 23.18-19), although many Israelites fell into the practice (3 Kgs 14.24; Am 2.7; Os 4.14).

Other aberrations were condemned: homosexuality and sodomy (Gn 19; Lv 18.22; Dt 22.5; Jgs 19.22-24); *incest (Dt 27.20; Lv 18.8-11); onanism (Gn 38.8-10); bestiality (Ex 22.18). Nudity was considered wrong (Gn 9.22; Ex 20.26). A chaste attitude and caution were taught generally by the sages (Sir 9.1-9 passim).

In the OT the purpose of sex was to express love and mutual dependence between spouses and to beget children and rear them in the ways of God's covenant. Sex outside family life was unlawful. The pleasures of married life were ordered to society's good.

The Prophets use sexual ideas as symbolic of the bond existing between Israel and God (Os 2.4-25;11.1-11). Israel is God's spouse and desertion for false gods is called adultery (Is 1,21; 54.1-10; 62.1-5; Jer 2.2; 3.1-5; Ez 16; 23).

Because of the fertility rites prevalent in Canaan and the many sexual abuses in Israel, it was taught that man and woman had been created by God in a primordial innocence in which no shame resulted from nudity (Gn 2.25). In this *Yahwist tradition the serpent as a symbol for evil was perhaps taken from antifertility cult propaganda, although the eating of the forbidden fruit is described as a breaking of the creation covenant rather than a sexual sin. Unlike the pagan gods, Yahweh was never worshipped by sexual rites.

In the New Testament. In the NT Christ's teaching echoed that of the OT but developed it further. Sex is good in itself. Marriage and birth are occasions for joy (Jn 2.1-10; Mt 9.15; Jn 16.21). Christ was merciful to sexual sinners (Lk 7.36-50; Jn 4.7-45; 8.1-11). But on the other hand, adultery and *divorce were condemned (Mt 5.27-32).

Like the Prophets, St. Paul used marriage as a symbol of the unity and love between Christ and His Church (Eph 5.21-33). For him sex in *marriage was holy and good. Chastity was related to sanctity (1 Thes 4.3-8), to the resurrection, and to the present union with Christ and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12-20). Like Jesus (Mt 19.10-12), Paul taught that a celibate dedication to God's Kingdom was more excellent than marriage, but also that it was a gift not given to everyone, for some were not able to remain continent (1 Cor 7.7-9). Marriage involved one in the present world and its cares, whereas celibates were more free to serve the Lord and to await His *Parousia (I Cor 7.25-38).

Finally, because of the previous sexual abuses of his converts Paul often condemned various types of sexual immorality: homosexuality, incest, prostitution, and obscenity (1 Cor 5; Eph 5.3; Col 3.5: etc.).

Bibliography: B. Z. GOLDBERG The Sacred Fire: The Story of Sex in Religion (New York 1959). W. G. COLE, Sex and Love in the Bible (New York 1959). R. PATAI, Sex and Family in tile Bible and the Middle East (New York 1959).

[R. H. MC GRATH]