Celibacy in the Antiquity and Middle Ages – From Religious Practice to Religious Rule

Abstract

Using a multidisciplinary approach, the paper provides a brief overview of the development of celibacy in the Antiquity and Middle Ages, shifting from a practice based on an individual’s personal decision to approach what they consider sacred, to a practice legally regulated in religious or social communities. In some cases of this regulation, celibacy becomes an obligation for members of those communities who want to occupy certain positions within it, while in others it is prohibited as a practice that destroys society. Greater attention was paid to celibacy in the Middle Ages, since in this period celibacy experienced its greatest affirmation in Christianity, passing within it the path from a practice that was desirable, but voluntary, to the norm for clergy.