Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism

by Bernadette J. Brooten

Love Between Women examines female homoeroticism and the role of women in the ancient Roman world. Employing an unparalleled range of cultural sources, Brooten finds evidence of marriages between women and establishes that condemnations of female homoerotic practices were based on widespread awareness of love between women.

"An extraordinary accomplishment. . . . A definitive source for all future discussion of homoeroticism and the Bible."—Mary Rose D'Angelo, Harvard Gay & Lesbian Review

"[Brooten's] convincing analysis . . . not only profoundly reshapes our understanding of the past, but it should also shape the way in which that past, particularly the early Christian texts with their immense normative weight, will be used for the future."—Anne L. Clark, Journal of Lesbian Studies

" Love Between Women gives contemporary debates on sexuality a carefully delineated past. It boldly insists upon a different future, one informed by history but not tyrannized by it."—Susan Ackerman, Lambda Book Report

"Fascinating, provocative and lucid. . . . Brooten has made a fundamental contribution to women's and gender studies, gay and lesbian studies, and classics."—Elizabeth A. Castelli, Women's Review of Books

Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Studies Book, 1997

Genres: History, LGBT, Nonfiction, Religion, Lesbian, Queer, Christianity

446 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Ronel]

I am very curious about this one. Growing up in a conservative, Protestant family, one is exposed to a couple of verses in the Bible which condems homosexuality. No one ever bothered to explain the historical, social and political context in which these verses were written.

Will keep you posted :)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great treatment of homoeroticism in ancient literature from a specifically female perspective (most books on homoeroticism are male-oriented, with occasional reference to same-sex love between women). This book includes two parts: the first part focuses on texts describing same-sex love between women in the classical world, while the second focuses heavily on Romans 1:18-32 and how ancient church theologians utilized that text (and other texts from the Greco-Roman world) to discuss female homoeroticism. This text does a really good job at subtly hinting that the Bible doesn't actually spend all that much time focusing on homoeroticism of any kind. In addition, it does a great job of contextualizing ancient and biblical references to female homoeroticism. The book is well-researched and very accessible to the average reader, so you should definitely check it out if you have time.

[Care · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in reconstructing women’s history and attitudes towards female homoeroticism in the ancient world and early Christianity. Brooten has an in-depth study of Romans 1 which is quite helpful.

[ArtemisLuni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hab sehr viel gelernt, aber irgendwie war alles sehr vague... einfach sehr vorsichtig mit tatsächlichen claims, fast nur Annahmen.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely had things I had not read before, although I wish it had also gathered literary sources instead of simply referring to others' (primarily Judy Hallett's) work. I, uh, didn't read the second half, not being interested particularly in the early Christians.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great scholarly approach by a great feminist scholar.