Abstract
Throughout the Ancien Régime, priests who were familiar with christian moral teaching that condemned the pleasures of the flesh, nevertheless indulged in conjugal unions and lust. Church courts fought these clerics and tried to impose a normalisation of their behaviour. But the sexuality of clerics could not be articulated and was not, therefore, codified. It was outside of the norm and had to disappear. Yet, research into the judicial archives of the officialités shows the conjugality and sexuality of the so-called delinquant clergy taking shape. An ‘adversarial’ comparison between the discourses of the church authorities and the sexual realities of the misbehaving minority reveals how norms were established and also how the amorous and sexual demands of the clergy in question were defined.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
