rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (05/22/84)
THE GAY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE: An Historical Perspective
[Summary of a talk given May 21, 1984 at the Church of the Covenant in
Boston by John Boswell, author of the ground-breaking study CHRISTIAN-
ITY, SOCIAL TOLERANCE & HOMOSEXUALITY (Yale U. Press, 1980) and profes-
sor (at a tender 37 years of age) of history at Yale.]
PART ONE
[All errors of logic or fact or stylistic inelegance are mine. Much of
the summary's wording is taken verbatim from Boswell but not quoted to
make reading easier. --- Ron Rizzo ]
Boswell summarized his book, listed & answered criticisms readers might
have, explained why the contradiction of christian homophobia is not
problematic, reviewed reactions to his book, & discussed his current work.
Boswell contrasted our disapproval of stereotyping as unjust with the
crude stereotyping we often tolerate of Christians (or other religious groups:
Muslims, Jews, etc.) as a uniform group. He then stated his aim in this talk:
to dispel the strong belief held by many Christians and Gay people in this
century that Christianity is "inimical" to homosexuality.
He recap'd his book: from the 4th to the 13th century, a time relatively low
interest in eros, Gay people were not generally oppressed in the Catholic West
or East, with the exception of 6th-7th century Spain under the Visigoths and
Byzantium under Justinian. In fact, there was a definite Gay subculture in
the Middle Ages that is documented, with its own literature and slang.
Many saints, bishops, nuns, and monks were openly Gay and sexually active
and left permanent testaments of their loves in poetry and religious essays.
In the 12th century, the confident & rich cultural life of the High Middle
Ages began a decline: widespread anxieties in the form of witch hunts, apo-
calyptic fears, and intolerance surfaced.
When repression came in the 13th century, all nonconformists were targeted:
Jews, Muslims, Gays, usurers. (Yet why was hatred most virulent against Gays?
Boswell speculated that other minorities could & were expelled en masse, but
Gays were a perpetual threat of nonconformity for each new generation.)
(A few asides: even the Renaissance retained much of the medieval repression;
its prisons were infamous for harassment of Gay inmates. Yet Gays continued
to be even conspicuous in European history. At the court of Louis the XIVth,
many generals, prelates, aristocrats, aides, & even the King's brother, were
homosexual and frequently attended large drag balls that were staged. Once
when Louis disclosed to one of his ministers his plans to expel Gays from the
military, he was told France would be without an army if that were done.)
Yet how can the Middle Ages have been so rosey, given the permanence Christian
homophobia has displayed since the 13th century? Boswell saw four principal
criticisms readers might have:
1. Why did homophobia remain in Christianity, when for example anti-
Semitism waned?
2. Isn't nonprocreative eros in fact against Church teaching?
3. Isn't the violently homophobic record of Christianity through at
least a part of history sufficient evidence of its hostility?
4. For believers who are Gay: why has God allowed Christian homo-
phobia?
[TO BE CONTINUED]