The Third Gender and Aelfric's Lives of Saints

Download or read book The Third Gender and Aelfric's Lives of Saints written by Rhonda L McDaniel and published by Medieval Institute Publications. This book was released on 2018-03-31 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Third Gender, McDaniel addresses the idea of the "third gender" in early hagiography and Latin treatises on virginity and then examines Aelfric's treatment of gender in his translations of Latin monastic Lives for his non-monastic audiences. She first investigates patristic ideas about a "third gender" by describing this concept within the theoretical frameworks of monasticism and then turns to creating a historical and theological cultural context within which to locate an interpretation of Aelfric's portrayals of male and female saints.