Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy
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Book Overview
The discovery of the fascinating and richly documented story of Sister Benedetta Carlini, Abbess of the Convent of the Mother of God, by Judith C. Brown was an event of major historical importance. Not only is the story revealed in Immodest Acts that of the rise and fall of a powerful woman in a church community and a record of the life of a religious visionary, it is also the earliest documentation of lesbianism in modern Western history.
Born of well-to-do parents, Benedetta Carlini entered the convent at the age of nine. At twenty-three, she began to have visions of both a religious and erotic nature. Benedetta was elected abbess due largely to these visions, but later aroused suspicions by claiming to have had supernatural contacts with Christ. During the course of an investigation, church authorities not only found that she had faked her visions and stigmata, but uncovered evidence of a lesbian affair with another nun, Bartolomeo. The story of the relationship between the two nuns and of Benedetta's fall from an abbess to an outcast is revealed in surprisingly candid archival documents and retold here with a fine sense of drama.
Born of well-to-do parents, Benedetta Carlini entered the convent at the age of nine. At twenty-three, she began to have visions of both a religious and erotic nature. Benedetta was elected abbess due largely to these visions, but later aroused suspicions by claiming to have had supernatural contacts with Christ. During the course of an investigation, church authorities not only found that she had faked her visions and stigmata, but uncovered evidence of a lesbian affair with another nun, Bartolomeo. The story of the relationship between the two nuns and of Benedetta's fall from an abbess to an outcast is revealed in surprisingly candid archival documents and retold here with a fine sense of drama.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0195042255
ISBN13:9780195042252
Release Date:December 1986
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Length:224 Pages
Weight:0.56 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 5.3" x 7.9"
Related Subjects
Americas Biographical Biographies Biographies & History Biography & History Catholicism Christian Books & Bibles Europe Gay & Lesbian History Italy Literature & Fiction Politics & Social Sciences Religion Religion & Spirituality Religious Studies Social Science Social Sciences Specific Groups Theology True Accounts Women Women's StudiesCustomer Reviews
3 ratings
Renaissance lesbianism
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This is the true story of a mother superior named Sister Benedetta Carlini and another nun from a small village near Florence in 17th century Italy who basically liked to rub bodies together in bed until they reached orgasm. This if course was a big no-no if you're a nun sworn to chastity. People found out and there was a trial in which the private sex life of these two nunnies was exposed. The scandal made them both lose their reputations. This is one of the earliest and most sensationalistic accounts of lesbian love on record. The fact that it was between two nuns makes it just that much more shocking and intriguing.(...)
Excellent writing!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
This book is a fabulous depiction of the Italian nun, Benedetta Carlini, whose drive for ambition in the Catholic church drove her to get the help of her lesbian lover to create the illusion of stigmata. Through this, she moves to new heights of power and respect in the church and brings money and fortune to the church...but upon accusations and scrutiny, she's brought down to pay for her ambition. The story is a tenderly told one. It has feminist elements and deals with the desperate desire of spoils, along with a not-so-pretty picture of the Church.
One of my all-time favorites
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
If you are interested in Renaissance Italy, gender studies, or the history of the Christian Church, this book is for you. This book presents the story of an ambitious abbess on the road to sainthood a la Catherine of Siena and her fall from grace as she becomes too powerful for the comfort of her male collegues. It is the story of the making and unmaking of a saint. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
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