Gender Violence in Late Antiquity: Male Fantasies and the Christian ImaginationGender Violence in Late Antiquity confronts the violent ideological frameworks underpinning the early Christian imagination, arguing that gender-based violence is not peripheral but is fundamental to understanding early Christian history. By analyzing hagiographical and doctrinal writings, Jennifer Barry reveals how male authors used portrayals of feminized suffering to shape ideals of sanctity and power, exploiting themes of domestic abuse, martyrdom, and sexualized violence to reinforce their visions of piety. The study first traces the roots of gendered violence within the Greco-Roman and early Christian imagination, and then explores the disturbing role of male fantasies and dreams in hagiographical traditions. Barry draws on womanist scholarship and engages with trauma studies and feminist horror theory in order to challenge traditional readings of Christian texts, offering new perspectives for understanding how narratives of violence continue to shape contemporary interpretations of gender and power. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Bodies in Conflict | 27 |
Forgotten Bodies | 55 |
Impossible Bodies | 82 |
Revenge Fantasies | 104 |
Bad Romantic Fantasies | 127 |
Dreams of Mothers | 149 |
Nightmares of Fathers | 167 |
Epilogue | 193 |
Bibliography | 201 |
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Alexandria apocryphal argued Arians ascetic Athanasius Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius's Augustine Augustine's biblical bishop Castelli chapter chastity Christian texts church Cobb cultural death desert discourse divine domestic dreaming mother Early Christian edited emphasized enslaved example experiences explored fantasy Fathers female feminine feminist flesh gender violence Gerontius Greek Gregory Gregory of Nyssa hagiographical hagiographical fantasy heresiological highlighted holy horror interpretation invoked JECS Jerome Jerome’s Jezebel John John Chrysostom Judges 19 late ancient Christian Late Antiquity legacy literary literature lives Lucretia Macrina male fantasy Martyrdom martyrs Mary Mary’s body Melania the Younger memory Monica monstrous narrative orthodox Oxford Perpetua and Felicitas Protoevangelium of James Ps.-Martyrius rape readers reading rhetorical Roman saint saintly scholars sexual violence Simeon Sophronius story studies suffering Syncletica Thecla themes theological theory tion tradition trans transformed Translation trauma trope University Press unnamed victim Violence in Late virgin Virginia Burrus vision vita woman womanist women worms Zosimus