The Queer Art of Biblical Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (Caritas Christiana) Through Caritas Romana

The place of eros in Christian theology has always been a contested one, not least because it is positioned as being at odds with agape, the kind of love that embodies gospel ethics. Matthew 25:31-46 calls us to “feed the hungry,” “quench the thirsty,” “shelter the homeless,” “clothe the naked,” and...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Menéndez Antuña, Luis (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2017]
In: Journal of religious ethics
Year: 2017, Volume: 45, Issue: 4, Pages: 732-759
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
Further subjects:B Eros
B Visual Exegesis
B Agape
B Queer Theory
B Matthew
B Bible. Matthäusevangelium 25,31-46
B Caritas
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:The place of eros in Christian theology has always been a contested one, not least because it is positioned as being at odds with agape, the kind of love that embodies gospel ethics. Matthew 25:31-46 calls us to “feed the hungry,” “quench the thirsty,” “shelter the homeless,” “clothe the naked,” and “visit the imprisoned” as emblematic examples of agapic love. This essay shows how a queer act, specifically that of a woman breastfeeding a starving man as depicted in the tradition of Caritas Romana, can fulfill the ethical demands in Matthew's pericope. It demonstrates how the action first narrated by Valerius Maximus and then represented by Paul Peter Rubens beautifully fulfills the Matthean agapic demands, and concludes that queer practices have the potential to fulfill the gospel demands, situating the erotic at the core of the agapic.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12198