Description
Book SynopsisThe Manly Priest examines the clerical celibacy movement in medieval England and Normandy, which produced a new model of religious masculinity for the priesthood and resulted in social tension and conflict as traditional norms of masculine behavior were radically altered for this group of men.
Trade Review"
"The Manly Priest accomplishes what it sets out to do admirably. It simultaneously traces the gradual progress of clerical reform in a region with rich documentation and adds a theoretical perspective concerning masculinity that deepens our understanding of the dynamics of reform, and as such it will be of interest to scholars of both subjects. For non-medievalists interested in the study of religion it represents a significant contribution to the study of the body and constructions of gender in religious thought; for medievalists it advances our understanding of a critical period in the formation of the Western Church."" *
Journal of Religion *
"An important and convincing book-Thibodeaux adds to the literature on clerical marriage and clerical celibacy by firmly and consistently moving the issue of masculinity to the center. Indeed, she considers the model of clerical masculinity an important cause of the drive for clerical celibacy." * Hugh M. Thomas, University of Miami *
"We have known for a long time that the compulsory celibacy of priests was not universally approved in all times and all places. Thibodeaux shows exactly how contested this structure was by turning to one area of Europe (the Anglo-Norman realms) where documents survive for various levels at which the battle played out. This is a clear contribution to a growing area of interest within medieval, religious, and gender history that addresses a transitional period in the history of the western church." * Derek Neal, Nipissing University *
Table of ContentsIntroduction. Gendered Bodies and Gendered Identities
Chapter 1. The Manly Celibate
Chapter 2. Legal Discourse and the Reality of Clerical Marriage
Chapter 3. The Marginality of Clerical Sons
Chapter 4. "The Natural Right of a Man": The Clerical Defense of Traditional Masculinity
Chapter 5. "They ought to be a model and example": The Expansion of Religious Manliness
Chapter 6. Policing Priestly Bodies: The Conflict of Masculinities Among the Norman Parish Clergy
Conclusion. The Manly Priest
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
