ABSTRACT
The ambivalence present in the Jewish Scriptures about prostitution was compounded in Christianity by the importance of Mary Magdalene. The more or less official position of Early Christianity on prostitution was that put forth in the fifth century by St. Augustine. The compilers of the Corpus recognized the legality of prostitution, although they attempted to curtail it by banning procuresses and brothel keepers, keeping it, so to speak, as a free-enterprise occupation. Only a minority of women in the past have chosen to “profess” prostitution, and none of the associated definitions of “professionalization” could be applied to prostitution. Agitation for parliamentary reform mounted, but in spite of the fact that the House of Lords passed bills aimed at preventing prostitution for girls under sixteen, the House of Commons refused to go along. In spite of the long history of prostitution, very little scholarly or scientific study has been made of prostitution itself.
