1st Edition

Sodomy A History of a Christian Biblical Myth

By Michael Carden Copyright 2004
    242 Pages
    by Routledge

    242 Pages
    by Routledge

    The biblical narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah has served as an archetypal story of divine antipathy towards same sex love and desire. 'Sodomy' offers a study of the reception of this story in Christian and Jewish traditions from antiquity to the Reformation. The book argues that the homophobic interpretation of Sodom and Gomorrah is a Christian invention which emerged in the first few centuries of the Christian era. The Jewish tradition - in which Sodom and Gomorrah are associated primarily with inhospitality, xenophobia and abuse of the poor - presents a very different picture. The book will be of interest to students and scholars seeking a fresh perspective on biblical approaches to sexuality.

    1. Introducing Sodom/olog/y: A Homosexual Reading Hetero-Textuality; 2. Reading Sodom and Gibeah; 3. A Shared Heritage - Sodom and Gibeah in Temple Times; 4. But the Men of Sodom Were Worse than the Men of Gibeah for the Men of Gibeah Only Wanted Sex: Sodom the Cruel, Gibeah and Rabbinic Judaism; 5. Towards Sodomy: Sodom and Gibeah in the Christian Ecumen; 6. The Sin that Arrogantly Proclaims Itself - Inventing Sodomy in Medieval Christendom; 7. Conclusion: Detoxifying Sodom and Gomorrah

    Biography

    Michael Carden teaches Biblical Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Queensland, Australia.