Lecture by Derek Krueger at Columbia University: Was Byzantine Christianity Heteronormative?

Time: 11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. 

Abstract 
Medieval East Roman Christianity offered alternatives to imperial society’s rigid gender roles and the sexual expectations that came with them. In monasticism, women and men abandoned marriage and procreation to heighten the orientation of their desire toward God and the saints. In some cases, monastic life transcended gender categories and was distinctly queer. Saints’ lives and spiritual instruction in particular, offered fabulations that presented religious life as a refuge from medieval Greek heteronormativities, although often in coded or ambiguous ways. 

This event will take place in person in 832 Schermerhorn Hall on Columbia's main campus, which unfortunately remains closed to non-affiliates at this time. If you require guest access to campus, please register using this form  https://forms.gle/ygiuyN3verdm8ryz9 

Official Website: https://ancient-mediterranean.columbia.edu/events/derek-krueger/