Courtly desire and medieval homophobia
the legitimation of sexual pleasure in cleanness and …
Elizabeth B. Keiser
299 pages | ~8 hrs
Courtly desire and medieval homophobia
the legitimation of sexual pleasure in cleanness and its contexts
By Elizabeth B. Keiser
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.
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
Details
- Published
- 1997
- Publisher
- Yale University Press
- ISBN-10
- 0300069235
- Pages
- 299
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- PR1964.K45 1997
