This is actually a history of attitudes toward sex and love, particularly religious and political attitudes. Terry Jones does it in an entertaining and engaging way.
ACCORDING TO TERRY JONES, attitudes change as follows:
Prehistory: Gods & goddesses create, and yearly re-create the world sexually. Sex an expression of divinity.
Iron age: ensuring fertility less important than military supremacy. Male-female balance gives way to male domination.
c. 650 BCE Hebrews, at war with Assyrians, expunge "foreign" gods, including their Canaanite goddess Ashura. Now one, male, god. Eve story is written: "woman is man's downfall."
Christianity creates the idea of sin; that sex is sinful and cuts you off from the love of God; and that priests can forgive confessed sins. Christianity is "the anti-paganism;" its priests control attitudes toward sex, gain power.
12th century CE: Marriage until now has been a contract between families, not involving the church. Suddenly the Pope declares sinful any marriage between couples "within 11 degrees of consanguinuity"--you can't marry anyone with whom you share a great great great grandparent-- without the church's permission--which comes at a price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consanguinity
1495: Syphilis appears in Naples, Italy. By 1497, to Scotland. By 1498, to India. By 1505, to Canton, China.
Mid-16th century: Church finally declares marriage a sacrament, that must be performed by a priest.
ACCORDING TO TERRY JONES, attitudes change as follows:
Prehistory: Gods & goddesses create, and yearly re-create the world sexually. Sex an expression of divinity.
Iron age: ensuring fertility less important than military supremacy. Male-female balance gives way to male domination.
c. 650 BCE Hebrews, at war with Assyrians, expunge "foreign" gods, including their Canaanite goddess Ashura. Now one, male, god. Eve story is written: "woman is man's downfall."
Christianity creates the idea of sin; that sex is sinful and cuts you off from the love of God; and that priests can forgive confessed sins. Christianity is "the anti-paganism;" its priests control attitudes toward sex, gain power.
12th century CE: Marriage until now has been a contract between families, not involving the church. Suddenly the Pope declares sinful any marriage between couples "within 11 degrees of consanguinuity"--you can't marry anyone with whom you share a great great great grandparent-- without the church's permission--which comes at a price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consanguinity
1495: Syphilis appears in Naples, Italy. By 1497, to Scotland. By 1498, to India. By 1505, to Canton, China.
Mid-16th century: Church finally declares marriage a sacrament, that must be performed by a priest.