ABSTRACT
Many religions, but especially Christianity, are often seen as the primary purveyors of sexual shame, and few religious figures are more closely associated with sexual shame than the Christian church father, Saint Augustine of Hippo. In this chapter, I aim to complicate the relationship between sex, shame, and religion by taking a closer look at the complexities of Augustine’s views about sexual desire. I suggest that Augustine’s work can be marshaled in the service of understanding, accepting, and overcoming sexual shame.
