Of sodomites, effeminates, hermaphrodytes, and androgynes
Book Description
This scholarly exploration delves into the complex history of sexuality and gender through the lens of medieval thought, offering readers a nuanced understanding of how spiritual and social frameworks shaped human identity across centuries.
Glenn Olsen guides readers through an intellectual journey spanning ancient civilizations to the early medieval period, examining how different eras understood and expressed concepts of sexuality through literature, art, and religious doctrine. Rather than presenting a single narrative, the work reveals the rich diversity of perspectives that existed within historical communities, challenging modern assumptions about past attitudes toward gender and human nature.
The first section traces the evolution of sexual language and concepts, particularly within religious texts such as penitentials and canon law, demonstrating how spiritual authorities grappled with questions of human behavior and divine intention. Olsen emphasizes that each historical period possessed its own varied vocabulary for discussing sexuality, reflecting deeper theological and philosophical considerations.
The second portion focuses on the influential medieval figure Peter Damian and his controversial writings, exploring themes of natural order, moral choice, and spiritual struggle. Through careful analysis of primary sources, including Romanesque sculptural evidence, the author illuminates how medieval thinkers wrestled with fundamental questions about human nature, free will, and the relationship between physical existence and spiritual development.
This comprehensive study offers contemporary readers valuable insights into how spiritual communities have historically approached questions of identity, morality, and human flourishing.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~15 hours)
📄 Length: 523 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Sodomie
- ✓ Explore Sexualité
- ✓ Explore Sexual behavior
- ✓ Explore Ouvrages avant 1800
- ✓ Explore Rôle selon le sexe
- ✓ Explore Sex role
- ✓ Deepen your spiritual understanding
- ✓ Explore History of doctrines
