The Serpent and the Dove

Having spent 25 years conducting a study of celibacy and sexual behavior in Roman Catholic priests, Richard Sipe concluded that at any one time no more than 50 percent of priests were practicing celibacy. To more fully understand what celibacy is, how it is practiced, the affect it has on the humanness of men of women, and the social effects it presents, Sipe says we can use the approach presented in this book. Specifically, we can analyze historic men who presented themselves or were perceived as living examples of celibacy and also focus on the "most profound" truths of celibacy found in literary accounts.