When We Collide: Sex, Social Risk, and Jewish Ethics

Rebecca Epstein-Levi's When We Collide is a landmark reassessment of the significance of sex in contemporary Jewish ethics, exploring how sex is entangled with all other forms of social interaction and representing an opportunity to move beyond heteronormative accounts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 274 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: Indiana University Press

When We Collide is a groundbreaking reassessment of the significance of sex in contemporary Jewish ethics. Rebecca Epstein-Levi presents a fresh and invigorating exploration of sexual ethics and virtue ethics in dialogue with rabbinic texts and feminist and queer theory. Epstein-Levi delves into the intricate nature of sex, revealing that it is not a distinct or specialized form of social interaction but rather an integral part of all other forms of social interaction. The various activities associated with sex, such as engaging in it, discussing it, contemplating it, and regulating it, serve as ongoing sites of moral formation at the individual, interpersonal, and communal levels.

When We Collide examines the evolution of Jewish sexual ethics and presents a unique opportunity to transcend the conventional heteronormative accounts that are often presented as impartial representations of Judaism's teachings on sex. By engaging with a wide range of sources and perspectives, Epstein-Levi offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of sexual ethics in Jewish tradition. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in exploring the complex relationship between sex, religion, and society.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780253065001