Late Antique Sexuality and the Rise of Christianity
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Stephan Huller
- Posts: 3009
- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 12:59 pm
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PhilosopherJay
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 7:02 pm
Re: Late Antique Sexuality and the Rise of Christianity
Hi Stephan,
Very appropo. Thanks Stephan,
"Whereas one may be tempted to view the late ancient transformation in sexual morality as a gradual process in which Christians adopted the postures of Roman conservatives (especially the Stoics), Harper insists that the Christianization of sexual morality represented a “discrete and categorical rupture” with the past. He argues, persuasively, that this rupture occurred in the fifth century (a later date than previous scholarship has suggested), and that it culminated in the sweeping legislative reforms of Justinian in the sixth century."
It may represent both an adoptation to Roman conservative morals and a rupture at the same time.
One can compare this to the present day Cosby Rape Myth. It represents an adoption of the conservative Ku Klux Klan black rapist myth, but also a radical break with the American tradition of "innocent until proven guilty."
Warmly,
Jay Raskin
Very appropo. Thanks Stephan,
"Whereas one may be tempted to view the late ancient transformation in sexual morality as a gradual process in which Christians adopted the postures of Roman conservatives (especially the Stoics), Harper insists that the Christianization of sexual morality represented a “discrete and categorical rupture” with the past. He argues, persuasively, that this rupture occurred in the fifth century (a later date than previous scholarship has suggested), and that it culminated in the sweeping legislative reforms of Justinian in the sixth century."
It may represent both an adoptation to Roman conservative morals and a rupture at the same time.
One can compare this to the present day Cosby Rape Myth. It represents an adoption of the conservative Ku Klux Klan black rapist myth, but also a radical break with the American tradition of "innocent until proven guilty."
Warmly,
Jay Raskin