Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century PDF
Preview Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century
Frotn the reviews "John Boswell restores one's faith in scholarship as the union of erudition, analysis and moral vision. I would not hesitate to call his book revolutionary, for it tells of things heretofore un in1agined and sets a standard of excellence that one would have thought impossible in the treatment of an issue so large, un charted and vexed.... His knowledge of the relevant scholarly literature is ren1arkable, and his book displays the sweep and control that one finds only in the work of a major histor ian.... The book's argument is of such richness-its empirical base so broad, its reasoning so fierce-that it succeeds in mak ing one think the unthinkable. It forces us to re-examine even the most fixed notions about our moral and cultural heritage.... He has also mastered one of the rarest of skills: the ability to write about sex with genuine wit. Improbable as it might seem, this work of unrelenting scholarship and high in tellectual drama is also thoroughly entertaining."-Paul Robin son, New York Times Book Review "(;hristianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality is one of the most critical and probing studies yet to appear. For Mr. Boswell has emerged with an interpretation which looks distinctly new. His argument is that intolerance of homosexuality was not an essential feature of Christianity itself, but only became the dominant attitude after nearly twelve hundred years of Church history.... Mr. Boswell's scholarly and painstaking analysis will bring academic respectability to what has hitherto been re garded as a faintly murky subject. It may even do something to foster Illore tolerant attitudes."-Keith Thomas, New York Review oj'Books "To characterize this analysis as revolutionary-in its implica tions for historical studies, for Christianity, for the current de bate over sexual mores-is to state the obvious. Boswell's study is indubitably one of the most profound, explosive works of scholarship to appear within recent memory. His book will in augurate controversies bound to rage for years.... Even now it is safe to say that Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality is that rare item-a truly ground-breaking study. With an abundance of skill and daring, John Boswell has opened up a vast historical terrain for reassessment, some of it never before explored, much of it marked for far too long by barricaded, sealed borders."-Martin Bauml Duberman, New Republic "An astonishing work of scholarship that ranges with ease over fourteen centuries, almost as many languages, characters as diverse as Socrates, Ovid, Caesar, Richard the Lion-Hearted, King Edward II and Saint Thomas Aquinas, and the history of social tolerance. What makes this work so exciting is not simply its content-fascinating though that is-but its revolutionary challenge to some of Western culture's most familiar moral assumptions."-Newsweek Christianity, SocialTolerance, and Homosexuality John Boswell Christianity, Social Tolerance, and HOlllosexuality Gay PeopleinWestern Europe from the Beginningofthe Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century The UniversityofChicago Press Chicago and London Publication of this volume has been assisted by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 1980by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 1980 Paperback edition 1981 Printed in the United States ofAmerica 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 13 14 15 16 17 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Boswell, John. Christianity, social tolerance, and homosexuality. Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. 1. Homosexuality—Europe—History. 2. Homosexuality and Christianity—History. I. Title. HQ76.3E8B67 301.41(cid:2)57(cid:2)094 79-11171 ISBN 0-226-06711-4 (paper) This book is printed on acid-free paper. To myparentsfor theirlove and example, and to Ralphfor his help
The list of books you might like
