CELIBACY

the state of being unmarried, usually in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result of a sacred vow, act of renunciation, or religious conviction. Celibacy has existed in some form or another throughout religious history and in virtually all the major religions of the world. Wherever celibacy has appeared, it has generally accompanied the view that the religious life is essentially different or even alienated from the normal structures of society and the normal drives of human nature. On the other hand, the religious style that disparages celibacy gives priority to the role of religion as employing and sanctifying the natural states of life: sexuality, family, and work.