What is it about?
The reading of Genesis 18,20 does not make clear what the sin of Sodom is.The Hebrew text only says that the transgression of the inhabitants of that - “khåvëdåh” – “כָּבְ דָּ ה” - “vëchatåtåm” – “וחַטָּ אתָּ םְ” :aggravated greatly was city “דֹא ְמ” – “mëod”. Even the passage in Gen 19,5 gives no clue to a specific sin: in this passage it seems more evident that the sodomites are violating the normal canons of hospitality. But then why do popular imaginations and some interpreters identify the sin of Sodom with homosexuality?
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Why is it important?
This research will demonstrate that a number of factors led to this type of interpretation. First it was understood that Gen 19,5 gave an indication of the sexual orientation of the inhabitants of Sodom; then the passages of Leviticus 18,22 and 20,13 were invoked to regulate this opinion; the next step was to connect Gen 18,20 and 19,5 with Paul’s comments in Romans 1 in which the sin of Sodom was associated with homosexual sex. This connection was sustained by Augustine and also by the author of “Visio Sancti Pauli”. The coming together of these factors was the catalyst for later traditions in which the sin of Sodom is presented as homosexual sex.
Perspectives
We believe that the theme discussed by this research can be better perspective provided that the following questions are answered. The first of these is, will a simple reading of what the Bible says or a professional historical-critical reconstruction of the ancient meaning of the texts provide a recipe for contemporary Christian ethics? And, further, how can the interpreter get away from imputing his own destructive ideologies to the Bible? And yet, can we, based solely on inferences from the passage in Gen 19.5, state that the inhabitants of Sodom were homosexuals? Can't we see their desire to have sex with the two visitors from another perspective? For example, as a way of humiliating and dominating foreign visitors? And, not least, the modern categories of “homo”, “bi” and “hetero”, which are based on the idea of sexuality that is the product of the sexological research of the last part of the 19th century, were already known at the time of the biblical authors ? Is it possible that biblical statements about sexuality are based on patriarchy, heterosexism, ethnocentrism and theocentrism? The solutions to these questions may lead the interpreter to broaden and update his view of Sodom's sin.
Master in Hermeneutic Studies -//- Adriano da Silva Carvalho
Instituto Brasileiro de Educação Integrada - IBEI
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: O pecado de Sodoma: conexões, incidentes e o lugar da ideologia na interpretação de Gn 18,20 e 19,5, Pesquisas em Teologia, July 2022, Faculdades Catolicas - Departamento de Teologia,
DOI: 10.46859/pucrio.acad.pqteo.2595-9409.2022v5n9p128.
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