Courtly desire and medieval homophobia

By Elizabeth B. Keiser

Book Description

In this scholarly exploration of medieval spirituality and sexuality, Elizabeth B. Keiser examines a fourteenth-century religious poem called Cleanness that offers a fascinating window into how spiritual communities have historically understood desire, nature, and divine intention.

Keiser reveals how this medieval text presents an unusual perspective for its time, celebrating physical intimacy within heterosexual relationships as a natural expression of divine creation, while simultaneously condemning same-sex love as contrary to the Creator's design. This dual stance creates a complex theological framework that both embraces and restricts human sexuality based on medieval interpretations of natural law.

The author situates this poem within the broader intellectual landscape of medieval thought, drawing connections to influential works by Thomas Aquinas, Alain de Lille, and Jean de Meun. Through this comparative analysis, readers gain insight into how religious communities have wrestled with questions of desire, morality, and spiritual authenticity across centuries.

Keiser demonstrates how the poem's celebration of courtly refinement and masculine ideals reflects specific class perspectives that shaped its theological vision. She also explores the poem's relationship to other significant medieval works including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Pearl.

This study offers valuable perspectives for anyone interested in understanding how spiritual traditions have approached sexuality, gender, and the relationship between physical desire and divine purpose throughout history.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

📄 Length: 299 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore History and criticism
✓ Explore Sex, religious aspects, christianity
✓ Explore Christian poetry, history and criticism
✓ Explore Medieval Civilization
✓ Explore Homophobia in literature
✓ Explore Gay men in literature
✓ Explore History of doctrines
✓ Explore Homosexuality

Topics Covered

History and criticism Sex, religious aspects, christianity Christian poetry, history and criticism Medieval Civilization Homophobia in literature Gay men in literature History of doctrines Homosexuality Courtly love in literature Civilization, medieval Gays in literature English Purity (Middle English poem) Sex Desire in literature Religious aspects Religious aspects of Sex Medieval Literature Homosexuality, religious aspects, christianity Christian poetry, English (Middle) Pleasure In literature Religious aspects of Homosexuality Christianity Civilization, Medieval, in literature Homosexuality and literature Religious aspects of Pleasure History