Same Sex Unions Essays (936 words) - John Boswell, Same-sex Marriage

Same Sex Unions The question of same-sex unions and their legitimacy in many different societies is a topic that has been hotly debated for centuries. One society in particular is pre-modern Europe. Noted author and historian Dr. John Boswell looks extensively at the topic of same-sex unions in his book Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe. Dr. Boswell argues extensively in his book that the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches not only sanctioned unions between partners of the same sex, but actually sanctified them. This critique examines some specific aspects of the book, and analyzes them. Before an analysis of the Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe can be evaluated, it's important to know a little about the author himself and what he stood for. Dr. Boswell was a professor at Yale University and Chairman of Yale's history department for many years. He was an award winning scholar, author and historian. In addition to writing Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe he also wrote several other works such as Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. Two of his greatest professional achievements included being a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Fulbright scholar. It is his extensive training as a Historian and an understanding of his own homosexuality that gave him unique insight into the writing of Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe. In Same Sex Unions in Modern Europe, Boswell takes a highly controversial position in saying that the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches actually sanctified same sex unions, while at the same time, presenting his viewpoints in such a way that any well educated historian would... very carefully. He almost contradicts himself at several points in the book and mentions that his ideas are subject to debate among his peers. Boswell, in writing this book has essentially established a Premodern Europe where heterosexual marriage was largely ignored by pagans and discouraged by the church. Also, according to Boswell, men would essentially pair off in order to perform duties that were considered essential to society such as war, trade, education, friendship, etc. As Boswell puts it "it is hardly surprising that there should been a Christian solemnizing same sex unions." I do not agree with him on this premise, although homosexuality has existed in animal species and in humans since the beginnings of our existence, how can he be so bold as to assume that the majority of these supposed pairs were homosexual? In my opinion that broad of a statement is like saying that any two men that shake hands or embrace must automatically be gay. There is a second specific point that I wish to point out with regards to medieval priest and the monastic life. Boswell points out in Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe that young boys caught performing homosexual acts were "punished" by being sent to a monastery. Was this meant as "punishment" to deprive these boys of their youth or to isolate them from the supposed forces that made them perform these acts? Boswell points out "in any event, being placed with monks was likely to provide the best environment to locate other men romantically interested in their own gender." That's all well and good, but he undermines his own thesis here. If the Christian Right of the time so vehemently supported same sex unions, then why would boys who engaged in same-sex acts be "punished" at all? Should not they be encouraged to be homosexual? Boswell not only mildly contradicts himself here, he goes a step further and practically destroys his own thesis. Through reading Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, relating it to my own experiences as a history major, and gay male, not to mention discussions in class, I do not believe that same sex unions were as heavily sanctioned in Premodern Europe by churches as Boswell would have us believe. It is my opinion that there have fluctuations between then and now as to exactly how much homosexuality is tolerated by the so-called mainstream society. There were places such as Ancient Greece where it was accepted and modern day liberal locations such as San Francisco, California that have a large gay/lesbian population. In both places both in the past and present, a certain percentage of religions Christian or non-Christian have spoken out against same sex unions. In one respect I can agree with Boswell in that perhaps in the past (in certain premodern Europe geographical locations) that same sex unions were more tolerated than they are today here in the United States. This is especially true in the so called "Bible Belt" which