{"product_id":"from-shame-to-sin-the-christian-transformation-of-sexual-morality-in-late-antiquity-revealing-antiquity-9780674072770","title":"From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity (Revealing Antiquity)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Rome was at its height  an emperors male beloved  victim of an untimely death  would be worshipped around the empire as a god. In this same society  the routine sexual exploitation of poor and enslaved women was abetted by public institutions. Four centuries later  a Roman emperor commanded the mutilation of men caught in same-sex affairs  even as he affirmed the moral dignity of women without any civic claim to honor. The gradual transformation of the Roman world from polytheistic to Christian marks one of the most sweeping ideological changes of premodern history. At the center of it all was sex. Exploring sources in literature  philosophy  and art  Kyle Harper examines the rise of Christianity as a turning point in the history of sexuality and helps us see how the roots of modern sexuality are grounded in an ancient religious revolution.  While Roman sexual culture was frankly and freely erotic  it was not completely unmoored from constraint. Offending against sexual morality was cause for shame  experienced through social condemnation. The rise of Christianity fundamentally changed the ethics of sexual behavior. In matters of morality  divine judgment transcended that of mere mortals  and shamea social conceptgave way to the theological notion of sin. This transformed understanding led to Christianitys explicit prohibitions of homosexuality  extramarital love  and prostitution. Most profound  however  was the emergence of the idea of free will in Christian dogma  which made all human action  including sexual behavior  accountable to the spiritual  not the physical  world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45652004536373,"sku":"ByrdShop_0674072774","price":109.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780674072770.jpg?v=1781848347","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/from-shame-to-sin-the-christian-transformation-of-sexual-morality-in-late-antiquity-revealing-antiquity-9780674072770","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}