Review: Sex and God and Other Essays by William J. Cataldi

Sex and God and Other Essays is a curious collection of writing that sticks long after closing the book. Some of the subjects are so outrageous and so taboo, that at times it’s hard to believe they have been written. But thankfully, Cataldi has, given the instant impression of a brave author.

Considering the background of the writer, which he explains in the prologue in detail, the work is shaded with a whole other quality. A gay-Christian-Taoist-Leatherman who doesn’t agree with vegetarians? That’s about as niche a viewpoint you’ll ever get.

Never once does it feel thoughts are disingenuous, and there is never a sense that he is trying to provoke. His points of view are solid and grounded in libertarian principles. Refreshingly, he does not moan or blame. And for a gay man, his views on marriage and sexuality are not the usual suspects. He believes that life is suffering, and that one must struggle through in any way possible. There is also a tender understanding of love that permeates the book: how past relationships define a person for who they are today, and, more often than not, can make one all the better for it.

In between essays, the inserted short stories seem slightly out of place. Although they fit in the context of this book as a presentation of Cataldi’s mind, the prose is too similar to the non-fiction pieces. To read the book is to sit across the table from the author, engaging in honest and sincere conversation. So when this is disrupted by fiction, it’s as if a scene from a musical is taking place, with people randomly bursting into song, with the stories taking the reader out of the flow. It would have been better to split the book into two sections, nonfiction, and fiction – or indeed, two slimmer books – as opposed to the scattered method chosen.

There are some contentious points. For example, mixing metaphors and science can feel as if the argument has swum a little too far out, and is wading through material that requires a level of expertise that, Cataldi even admits himself, is not there. The upside is that the author tackles them with open naivety. He puts himself in the position of the ‘ignorant everyday-man’ which can be inspiringly malleable. But opinion is not fact, and this is a thin line often crossed in such works, for better or worse.

This book does however stand as a bastion of free speech. Cataldi has delved into not only unpopular issues, but off-putting ones with such gusto and honesty that any reader with an open mind will come away feeling that they understand the world a little more.

It is said that nowadays it is punk to think conservatively, it is alternative to be religious. Cataldi is a testament to that. There cannot be any other book in existence today that deals with the heady cocktail of Christianity, Leathersexuality, and philosophical theory. A reader journey’s from homosexual fiction to criticism of Communism? This has to be a must-read for anyone, especially those looking to discover a path into alternative thinking.

Note: This book contains material that may offend some people.