Sacred Pleasure

In Sacred Pleasure, Riane Eisler traces the course of sexual and spiritual relations from prehistory to the present within the larger context of our cultural and biological evolution, through myth, philosophy, anthropology and archaeological evidence in order to offer effective tools for healthier and more satisfying ways of living and loving. Eisler addresses the link between pain and pleasure in the power-relationships governing our world, one of the themes already investigated in The Chalice and the Blade, and takes the reader on an interesting journey through the exploration of the dynamics of sex and power between man and woman over the millennia.
Our society, conditioned by the dominator model, connotes sexuality as a form of monetary exchange and an affirmation of power. Partnership culture on the other hand centres upon a spirit of partnership sacredness that transforms the relationship between man and woman into a path leading to the sacred in its highest form.
This Italian edition is enriched by a prologue written by Eisler for the occasion, which is a result of a fruitful and long-standing collaboration with the Partnership Studies Group of the University of Udine. Moreover, the book is prefaced by Antonella Riem and offers an invaluable partnership glossary, compiled by Stefano Mercanti, providing an essential tool for the rethinking of the partnership/dominator continuum in human relationships.