by: Donna Freitas
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 pervasiveness of hook-up culture. Moreover, many students see
little connection between sex and religion, even as they seek one
between sex and spirituality. 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
Freitas's research also reveals that, even at secular schools, students
are not comfortable with a culture of casual sex, and that they do want
spirituality, at least, if not also 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 what's happening on today's
college campuses.
Named one of the Best Religion Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly