ABSTRACT
The notion of sexual renunciation developed in the early Christian church through particular readings of Christian scriptures, the lives of holy men and women, and especially in the establishment of monastic communities. The concept was part of a larger practice of self-renunciation in which devoted practitioners of Christianity elected to give up materials, goods, and comforts, including sex, family, food, and shelter. Sexual renunciation played a significant role in the development of early Christian practices. Perpetual virginity, celibacy, monasticism, and sexual purity in whatever historical context were attempts to control the body's sexual appetites. In each context, sexual renunciation demonstrated the power of an ecclesiastical institution or religious community, and the theological superiority of their respective belief system. As a Christian practice of self-discipline, sexual renunciation utilizes the power of individual choice to demonstrate the theological orthodoxy of Christian faith.
