Anthropologist: When Same-Sex Marriage Was a Christian Rite

[WhoIsNumberNone]

Gwinna (gwinna) wrote in anthropologist, 2009-12-11 10:47:00

Contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual. Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the "Office of Same-Sex Union" (10th and 11th century), and the "Order for Uniting Two Men" (11th and 12th century).

These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiatied in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.

A Kiev art museum contains a curious icon from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai in Israel. It shows two robed Christian saints. Between them is a traditional Roman ‘pronubus’ (a best man), overseeing a wedding. The pronubus is Christ. The married couple are both men.

Is the icon suggesting that a gay "wedding" is being sanctified by Christ himself? The idea seems shocking. But the full answer comes from other early Christian sources about the two men featured in the icon, St. Sergius and St. Bacchus, two Roman soldiers who were Christian martyrs. These two officers in the Roman army incurred the anger of Emperor Maximian when they were exposed as ‘secret Christians’ by refusing to enter a pagan temple. Both were sent to Syria circa 303 CE where Bacchus is thought to have died while being flogged. Sergius survived torture but was later beheaded. Legend says that Bacchus appeared to the dying Sergius as an angel, telling him to be brave because they would soon be reunited in heaven.

<SNIP>

Contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.

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[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[orwell]

2. Don't confuse us with facts...

...it ruins Hate Week.

[SoutherDem]

3. Conservatives will say this is fabricated

Anything a person with a college degree says which doesn't support their side is fabricated by a liberal with an agenda.

Their solution? Create colleges and universities which teach a conservative message, but of course they don't have an agenda.

[msongs]

4. America's peculiar and virulent christian cults will not care to discuss these items nt

[Hissyspit]

5. I first read this on DU!

DUer NorthCarolina: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x128714

...and have used it in my classes ever since!

[WhoIsNumberNone]

6. As old as it is, I figured it had probably been posted before

But it seemed like a timely thing to post again in light of recent events.

On edit: And the irony of the 1st poster's username is not lost on me either...

[Hissyspit]

7. Oh, yes. Definitely timely and worth posting again.

I was thinking about the icon just yesterday, but it didn't occur to me to post it.

[NorthCarolina]

9. I hold no claims to the article, and appreciate the fact

that you found it a worthy post yourself. Great minds think alike

[4th law of robotics]

8. Yeah I really don't see a church as anti-gay as the modern catholics taking root in Ancient Rome

the way it did.

[progressoid]

10. Piffle. I prefer to get my facts from Bristol Palin.

k/r

[edcantor]

11. Thanks for this! I learn something every day here.

This was well worth learning about.

Did anyone note the original article has a comments section at the bottom of it? Notice the number of people who claim it CANNOT be true because it's not in the Bible, and the Bible is the only TRUE document.

Bigotry and closed mindedness abounds.