Love between women
Subtitle: early Christian responses to female homoeroticism
By: Bernadette J. Brooten.
Series: The Chicago series on sexuality, history, and society
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Chicago; London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 412
ISBN-13: 9780226075914
Subjects: Bible. -- N.T. -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Bible. -- Criticism, interpretation, etc -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600.; Lesbianism -- Biblical teaching.; Lesbianism -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- Early church, ca. 30-600.; Lesbianism -- Rome.
Description: Bernadette J. Brooten examines female homoeroticism and the role of women in the ancient Roman world. Employing an unparalleled range of cultural sources, from magical spells and medical texts to astrological horoscopes, Brooten finds evidence of marriages between women and discusses the surgical procedure of clitoridectomy as a method of controlling female homoeroticism.

She incontrovertibly establishes the fact that condemnations of female homoerotic practices were based on widespread awareness of sexual love between women. Culling significant information from her sources to illuminate the lives and beliefs of myriad ancient Mediterranean peoples, she gives a tour, at once delightful and distressing, of Roman-world attitudes.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and indexes.