Aquinas: the joy of sex?

The 16th-century Reformation is often remembered as a rediscovery of the heart of the gospel and the way of salvation, but it was also a recovery of a Biblical view of marriage and sex.

The medieval Roman Catholic Church had affirmed the goodness of marriage, but at the same time argued that celibacy was a much better option for those wanting to pursue a life of holiness and serve God vocationally. Many medieval authors had problems especially with marital intercourse for pleasure.

Bede and Jerome on marital sex

For instance, the early medieval author Bede (c.673–735) spoke for the general medieval tradition when he maintained that the apostolic injunction to pray always could not be fulfilled if one was married and engaging in sexually intimate acts. Sex precluded a robust prayer life. Bede is rightly regarded as a conduit of patristic convictions and this area of thought is no exception.