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Heightened awareness of the problem of sexual abuse has led to deep anxiety over adults touching children—in nearly any context. Though our society has moved toward increasingly strict enforcement of this taboo, studies have shown that young children need regular human contact, and the benefits of breastfeeding have been widely extolled. Exploring the complicated history of love, desire, gender, sexuality, parenthood, and inequality, Erotic Attunement probes the disquieting issue of how we can draw a clear line between natural affection toward children and perverse exploitation of them.

Cristina L. H. Traina demonstrates that we cannot determine what is wrong about sexual abuse without first understanding what is good about appropriate sensual affection. Pondering topics such as the importance of touch in nurturing children, the psychology of abuse and victimhood, and recent ideologies of motherhood, she argues that we must expand our philosophical and theological language of physical love and make a distinction between sexual love and erotic love. Taking on theological and ethical arguments over the question of sexuality between unequals, she arrives at the provocative conclusion that it can be destructive to completely bar eroticism from these relationships.

An exploration of the ideas that have shaped Jewish faith, culture, and identity.

In Essays in Jewish Thought, renowned scholar Nahum N. Glatzer offers a thoughtful and illuminating exploration of the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural traditions that have shaped Judaism across centuries. Drawing upon his deep knowledge of Jewish history, philosophy, theology, and literature, Glatzer examines the ideas, texts, and personalities that have influenced Jewish religious life and identity from antiquity to the modern era.

Through a collection of insightful essays, readers encounter enduring questions concerning faith, ethics, revelation, community, and the relationship between tradition and modernity. Glatzer's scholarship highlights the richness and diversity of Jewish thought while demonstrating how Jewish thinkers have engaged with changing historical circumstances and universal human concerns. His clear and accessible writing makes complex philosophical and theological concepts approachable without sacrificing intellectual depth.

Essays in Jewish Thought provides a valuable introduction to key themes in Jewish intellectual history and offers fresh perspectives for both newcomers and seasoned students of Judaism. The volume serves as a meaningful resource for understanding the foundations of Jewish belief, practice, and cultural continuity. Ideal for courses in Jewish studies, religious studies, theology, and philosophy, this collection remains an important contribution to the study of one of the world's most enduring religious and intellectual traditions.