Perceptions about gender and sexuality have shaped the lives of men and women in every known culture and in every period of history. To study these perceptions one must delve into the underlying religious, social, philosophical and scientific influences. Understanding gender and sexuality during the Middle Ages requires an examination of the ideas, laws and institutions of the time--for example, the regulations of the Christian church, the anatomical studies of the medieval medical community, the chronicles of the time and the social criticism found in medieval literature.

This reader brings such documents from throughout the medieval world into one collection. Representing a diverse range of ethnic, geographic and religious backgrounds, documents of the late Roman, Germanic, Anglo-Norman, Mediterranean, Byzantine, Slavic, Jewish and Islamic identities are all included. The book's chapters are organized according to nine areas--the Bible; Christian thought; chronicles; law; biology, medicine and science; literature; witchcraft and heresy; Judaism; and Islam--allowing for comparative examination of different societies and periods of the Middle Ages.

About the Author
Martha A. Brozyna has taught courses on Latin and ancient and medieval sexuality at Rutgers University. She lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

Reviews
"should be required reading for any course on medieval social history...it is blessedly clear, provocative, informative, and the product of an author who thoroughly knows the sources, both primary and secondary, for medieval sexual history. I cannot imagine students not loving it, discussing it, arguing about it, and profiting enormously from it. I enjoyed every page of it and believe that it should be in every medieval scholar's library"-Journal of the History of Sexuality.



Book Information
ISBN 9780786420421
Author Martha A. Brozyna
Format Paperback
Page Count 328
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 431g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 17mm