A fascinating account of the role of sex as a civilizing force in the west, this lucid and compelling book contends that keeping sex within marriage is essential for the well-being of any society. Riley explores the Judaeo-Christian tradition on marriage and sexuality and shows how marriage came to contain the force of sexuality, harnessing its energies to serve both the family and the wider community. He argues that the idea that sex is entirely a private issue is an error with potentially disastrous consequences both for the individual and for society.

Patrick Riley has been a newspaper editor, a Lecturer in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America and Governmental Affairs Director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, USA.