The birds and the Bedes: Race, gender, and sexuality in Bede’s In Cantica Canticorum
Erik Wade
Abstract This article argues that Bede – like modern intersectional analysis believed identity categories cannot be disentangled or understood in isolation. In Bede’s commentary on the Song of Songs, skin color, gender, and religious intermix with metaphors sexuality. These coalesce a monumental lesson how to read. claims reading literally perceiving Black skin, eroticism, gender confusion means Jew prevents readers from seeing feminine, metaphorical level below masculine, carnal level. suggests is akin much medieval thought rather than being an anachronistic imposition historical text. Intersectional can lay bare theologians saw as interwoven interdependent, even while themselves entrenched hierarchies race, sexuality, difference. For Bede, Christian interpretation continual process moving literal outside (Black, carnal, sexual) inside (beautiful, allegorical, chaste, reproductive). Once inside, however, we bird passing through hall must return once again endless movement between layers echoes theological processes rumination blurs divide contemplative active life.
postmedieval