The Department of Philosophy and Religion invite the UTC community and
general public to our third lecture in our department series.

"Circumcision and Sexuality in Medieval Jewish and Christian Polemic"

Presented by Dr. Irven Resnick
Department of Philosophy & Religion

Monday, November 17, 2008
UTC's University Center
Lookout Mountain Room
3:00 p.m.
 
Although medieval Christian theology understood that baptism had replaced
the Jewish rite of circumcision, by the thirteenth century Christian
theologians were increasingly interested in exploring the many purposes
behind circumcision. What effects did it produce in the body, and the soul?
This discussion became sharply polemical, and turned frequently to
discussions of circumcision as a divinely ordained curb on the Jewish libido
and (male and female) sexuality. Jewish texts shared many of the
presuppositions of Christians, but arrived at very different conclusions, to
demonstrate that circumcision leads the Jew to a spiritual perfection
inaccessible to Christians.