Sexuality of Jesus
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The New Testament does not explicitly indicate that Jesus had any sexual relationships. Many Christians believe that he remained celibate until his death. Throughout history, however, there have been those who have argued or suggested that there may be more to be said about Jesus' sexuality; some have argued that Jesus lived as a eunuch, and others on the contrary have argued that he had a sexual relationship. The details of these theories often vary widely.
Some Christians believe that if Jesus was wholly human, he must have been a sexual being. Leo Steinberg calls this phenomenon humanation.
The sadomasochistic undertones of the crucifixion have often been commented upon, and occasionally portrayed explicitly in modern art and for satirical reasons.
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Mary Magdalene
The Gospel of Philip (not in the Biblical canon) states that Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene. Considering the gnostic nature of writing, most do not consider this a sexual act, instead interpreting it as an instance of a common Middle-Eastern cultural practice, signifying the transfer of knowledge (in this case, gnosis) between a teacher and his pupils. However, the notion of a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene has been a frequent topic in literature, and within the 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.
In literature and art
Literature
The poem "The Love that Dares to Speak its Name" suggests that Jesus had several sexual encounters, including with Pontius Pilate, and contains a graphic description of Jesus' sexual encounter with a Roman soldier; Christian opposition to the poem's suggestions resulted in the Whitehouse v. Lemon court case, a famous blasphemous libel trial.
Art
Though scarce, a number of depictions of Jesus have been viewed as phallic, such as the San Damiano cross at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Assisi, The Cimabue crucifix at the Basilica of San Domenico in Arezzo, the Icon of the Crucifixion (Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai), the Lamentation over the Dead Christ (c. 1480) by Andrea Mantegna, a print by Ludwig Krug and the Man of Sorrows painting by Maarten van Heemskerck. The book The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and Modern Oblivion (1983) by Leo Steinberg is dedicated to the subject.
See also
- Nudus nudum Christum sequi
- The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and Modern Oblivion (1983) by Leo Steinberg
- Historical Jesus
- Christianity and sexuality
- Biblical eroticism
- Cultural depictions of Jesus
- Jesus foreskin
- Religious controversies
- Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus
