U. Minnesota ‘Intersectional Medieval Art’ Class Explores ‘Transgender Saints’
“the history chair, Professor Sarah Chambers, said it is not offered through her department and did not have more information to share”
In other words, they’re twisting history in order to conform to a progressive worldview.
The College Fix reports:
UMinn ‘intersectional medieval art’ class explores ‘transgender saints’
University of Minnesota students can learn about “transgender saints” in a class on “intersectional medieval art.”
The class is “grounded in critical race theory, intersectionality, and queer theory” and considers the roles of “gender, sexuality, and race in the context of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures,” according to its course description.
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ Center for Medieval Studies regularly offers the class, which also covers “miraculous transformations, demonic possession, female artists and patrons, the ‘monstrous races’ of travel accounts, and gender-affirming surgeries.”
“In contrast to misconceptions of a homogenous white European past, the reality of medieval Europe was diverse and complex, and its boundaries – geographical, cultural, bodily, and otherwise – were in flux, as reflected in its visual and material culture,” the course description states.
The course is cross-listed in the history department. However, the history chair, Professor Sarah Chambers, said it is not offered through her department and did not have more information to share.
The medieval studies center also did not respond to an email in the past week. The Fix could not get through via the phone due to a busy signal.
The Fix also reached out to UMN history professors Michael Lower and Katherine Reyerson via email for comment on the class, but they did not respond. Both list research interests that would align with this course.
The College Fix asked for a copy of the syllabus and for examples of transgender saints.
However, a Catholic history professor at the University of Chicago said further context is needed for the claims made by the course.
“‘Transgender’ is, obviously, a modern term, but, yes, there were saints whom we might now describe this way, with the same caveats that people used to use about the terms ‘homosexual’ and ‘gay’ being anachronistic,” Professor Rachel Brown told The Fix via email.
Brown, a medievalist, said the class likely touches on the figures of St. Joan of Arc, who cross dressed to appear more masculine, or St. Symeon the Theologian, who was believed to be a eunuch serving among other eunuch monks. However, Brown noted, these saints can only be loosely called “transgender” or “queer.”
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Comments
you know they will eventually change the bible to jesus or moses etc is gender fluid
Gender fluid saints? Uhm, Catholic here and it’s not even an idea!
Angels now… that’s a different story entirely.
What do you mean, it’s not an idea? You can’t be telling me that out of all the people who have existed throughout human history who thought of themselves as being of the opposite sex, or who presented themselves that way to others, none have made it into Heaven! Of all the millions of saints in Heaven, surely some must have been transsexual or at least unsure of their sex in their earthly lives.
well yeah
but they were assigned the harpsichord
Molly Pitcher wasn’t transgender, either.
but what about the catcher???
Well, it’s a mainstream Jewish belief that Dinah was originally conceived as a boy, but was miraculously transformed into a girl in Leah’s womb after she prayed for a daughter.