Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages: A Medieval Source Document Reader [Paperback]

This corpus of original source material on the subject of gender and sexuality demonstrates how many of the debates, issues and passions of the medieval period, are not so different to those of the modern world. However, here extracts from various writers and scholars are placed firmly within their cultural and historical context, within the ideas, laws and institutions of the Middle Ages. Documents from different ethnic backgrounds (Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, Slavic, Jewish, Islamic), different parts of Europe and the Mediterranean and different religious identities are presented here with a small amount of comment by Martha Brozyna. Some of the subjects covered include: the Bible; Christian thought; chronicles; medicine and science; witchcraft and heresy; Judaism; Islam.This corpus of original source material on the subject of gender and sexuality demonstrates how many of the debates, issues and passions of the medieval period, are not so different to those of the modern world.