2. Vagina Christi
It has been a widely held belief within the orthodox theological framework that God's essence is beyond the confines of gender and encompasses both masculine and feminine characteristics. This notion is supported by various philosophical and religious traditions.
It is possible to posit a link between the conception of Jesus as the new Adam, as described in Romans 5, and the notion of Adam as a hermaphrodite possessing both male and female characteristics before the creation of Eve. This portrayal of Adam as a hermaphrodite was a widely recognized archetype for primitive humans that also featured in pagan myths.
If Christ is deemed the new Adam, but no woman was involved in his creation, it is plausible to infer that he too embodies both male and female principles. Paul's emphasis on the idea of Christ recapitulating all things, as outlined in Ephesians 1, supports the notion that he encompasses all humanity, including men and women.
Furthermore, if Jesus is considered the incarnation of God, then he would fully embody the various aspects of this God, who is not only a Father but also a Mother (as noted in Isaiah 49) and encompasses the Ruach within himself, which has a grammatically feminine gender. It is thus logical to attribute feminine attributes to Jesus as well.
The concept of the "Vagina Christi," or the "Wound of Christ," has been associated with the symbolic representation of the vulva or vagina as a sacred and divine entity in certain Christian traditions. This representation is often attributed to the wound inflicted on Christ's side during his crucifixion, which is viewed as a symbolic representation of the vagina as a source of life and renewal. The "Vagina Christi" has been the subject of various mystical and theological interpretations throughout history, reflecting the intersection of sexuality, spirituality, and gender in religious discourse.
Suggested Bibliography
Roland Betancourt. “Transgender Lives in the Middle Ages through Art, Literature, and Medicine.” The Getty Iris (blog), March 6, 2019.
Gabrielle Bychowski. “Were There Transgender People in the Middle Ages?” The Public Medievalist (blog), November 1, 2018.
Dr. Maeve K. Doyle, "Mysticism and queer readings of Christ’s Side Wound in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg," in Smarthistory, June 29, 2020, accessed March 26, 2023
Kadin Henningsen, “‘Calling [herself] Eleanor’: Gender Labor and Becoming a Woman in the Rykener Case” Medieval Feminist Forum 55:1 (2019): 249–266.
Bryan C. Keene and Rheagan Martin. “Coming Out: Queer Erasure and Censorship from the Middle Ages to Modernity.” The Getty Iris (blog), October 11, 2016.
An abstract of Michael Camille’s “‘For Our Devotion and Pleasure’: The Sexual Objects of Jean, Duc de Berry”
P. M. Walker, 2013 (thesis) Medieval Female Spirituality and the Wound of Christ in Folio 331r of Bonne of Luxembourg’s Prayer Book
