An Lea, Henry Charles 1825-1909 creator text utu 2020 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "An Historical Sketch of Sacerdotal Celibacy in the Christian Church" by Henry C. Lea is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The book explores the evolution and implications of enforced celibacy among the clergy in Christianity, presenting an in-depth study of its origins, effects on society and the church, and its historical context. Lea aims to provide an objective overview devoid of polemics, making it accessible to both scholars and general readers interested in the social and moral ramifications of clerical celibacy. The beginning of this work outlines the influence of the church on the development of Western civilization and discusses the origins of clerical celibacy, tracing its roots through early Judaism and ascetic movements. Lea emphasizes the contrast between the materialistic perspective of the Old Testament and the spiritualism brought forth by Christ, which fostered a rising ascetic ideal in Christianity. The text highlights the gradual acceptance of celibacy among clergy, noting the efforts to regulate marriage and the increasing asceticism within the early church, setting the stage for the complex relationship between religious authority and personal morality that would follow throughout history. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2020-01-15 Produced by deaurider, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Original publication data not identified Church history Catholic Church -- Clergy Celibacy -- Catholic Church BV Original publication data not identified a10002128 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61176 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61176 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134418.0 61176