Date Thesis Awarded
5-2023
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
History
Advisor
Lu Ann Homza
Committee Members
Randi Rashkover
Philip Daileader
Mary Kirsh
Abstract
This thesis is an exploration of Medieval Jewish and Christian conceptions of sex and aims to challenge the notion of Judeo-Christian values. Medieval Judaism and Christianity are at odds with each other in their understandings of sexuality. By considering Judaism, the belief that medieval religion was averse to sexuality and sexual pleasure is disproven. An analysis of religious works, such as those produced by Christian theologians and Jewish rabbis, yields the following conclusion: medieval Christianity restricted sex on the basis of abstinence, while medieval Judaism restricted sex on the basis of ritual impurity but mandated sex for procreation and female pleasure. Medieval Jewish texts promoted foreplay and permitted non-procreative sex acts. This research produces a better picture of medieval sexuality, one that includes Judaism’s openness towards male and female sexual pleasure.
Recommended Citation
Zaslavsky, Rachel, "To Have Sex or Not to Have Sex: An Exploration of Medieval Christian and Jewish Sexual Values" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1915.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1915
Included in
Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, European History Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, Medieval History Commons, Medieval Studies Commons, Other Religion Commons
