The Corrupter of Boys: Sodomy, Scandal and the Medieval Clergy

By Author Interviews, Childhood and Youth, Medieval, Religion and Sexuality, Sexual Violence 0 comments

Scandal-averse policies have enabled the widespread sexual abuse of boys and male adolescents within the Church.

Virgin Whore

By Author Interviews, Medieval, Religion and Sexuality 1 comment

A surprisingly prevalent theme in late English medieval literature and culture: the celebration of the Virgin Mary’s sexuality.

‘The Stimulus of the Flesh’ and Margaret Singleton’s Broken Vow

By Medieval 1 comment

While many vowesses broke their chastity vows, Margaret Singleton’s case was different and remains an unsolved mystery.

The Manly Priest: Celibacy, Masculinity, and Reform in the Medieval Period

By Author Interviews, Medieval, Religion and Sexuality 0 comments

The story of the imposition of clerical celibacy in the Anglo-Norman realms.

The Problematic Priestly Body: Celibacy, Sexuality and the Trials of the Medieval Clergy

By Medieval 0 comments

Many medieval clerics struggled to obey rules which said they must remain celibate.