> > The text I am using this term (Franzoi) cites what I presume is > > historical study by Boswell (1980) that homosexuality was tolerated or > > ignored by the early Christian church until the middle ages? Are > > there other historical accounts supporting this supposed tolerance? > Boswell was (d. 1994) a well-known medieval historian. My understanding, > however, is that Medieval historians are far from agreed that Boswell's > interpretation of the facts is correct. Best (as always) to read the > book (books, in this case), and then the reviews. You can get > _Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality_ (1981) and _Same-Sex > Unions in Premodern Europe_ (1993?) on sale at amazon.com.
>From my limited understanding of his critics, Boswell was supposedly a gay activist who (ad hominem, yes) had an agenda. And this was to demonstrate that not only did the medieval church tolerate same sex marriage, they even (on occasion) celebrated it. There are a number of supposedly cogent rebuttals, including http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9411/articles/darling.html I wouldn't know, since I'm not a historian, but it seems unlikely that the church managed to cover up something like this for so many years. But alas "Duh Vinci Code" and other contemporary works of fiction have some convinced that nothing we've been taught is factual. Jim Guinee --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
