The Manly Eunuch - Masculinity, Gender Ambiguity and Christian Ideology in Late Antiquity (Hardcover)

The question of masculinity formed a key part of the intellectual life of late antiquity and was crucial to the development of Christian society. This idea is at the heart of Mathew Kuefler's new book, which revisits the Roman Empire during the third, fourth, and fifth centuries of the common era. Kuefler argues that the collapse of the Roman army, an increasingly autocratic government, and growing restrictions on the traditional rights of men within the realms of marriage and sexuality all led to an endemic crisis in masculinity: men of the Roman aristocracy, who had always felt themselves to be soldiers, statesmen, and the heads of households, became, by their own definition, unmanly.
The cultural and demographic success of Christianity during this epoch lay in the ability of its leaders to recognize and respond to this crisis. Drawing on the tradition of gender ambiguity in early Christian teachings, which included Jesus's exhortation that his followers "make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven," Christian writers and thinkers crafted a new masculine ideal. Taking advantage of the changing social realities in Rome, they inverted the Roman model of manliness and helped solidify Christian ideology by reinstating the masculinity of its adherents.

General

Imprint:	University of Chicago Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Chicago Series on Sexuality, History & Society
Release date:	July 2001
First published:	July 2001
Authors:	Mathew Kuefler
Dimensions:	237 x 160 x 30mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	448
ISBN-13:	978-0-226-45739-0
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > History of ideas, intellectual history Books > Humanities > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Humanities > History > European history > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Gender studies > Men's studies Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > Philosophy of religion > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology > Social & cultural anthropology > General Books > History > European history > General Books > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > Philosophy of religion > General Books > Christianity Promotions
LSN:	0-226-45739-7
Barcode:	9780226457390

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