Speaker: Kathy Gaca, Department of Classical and Mediterranean Studies, Vanderbilt University

Abstract: »The core argument of my talk is that haptesthai gunaikos in 1 Corinthians 7:1 signifies sexual aggression on the part of men toward women, notably in martial ravaging conquest where aggressor forces raped and treated ravaged war-captive girls and women as their slave whores (pornai). As seen in similar Greek passages, haptesthai gunaikos signifies "to sexually grab" or "maul a woman" of any age, including girls, not just "to touch her." Yet haptesthai gunaikos in 1 Cor 7:1 is usually interpreted and translated in the light sense of 'touch', which is oblivious to the verb phrase's register of predatory sexual assault. Further, though scarcely recognized in interpretations of Paul, martial conquest rape culture is likewise basic to what porneia means in Paul and beyond in antiquity. The dictate in 1 Cor 7:1 and the Corinthians' and Paul's use of it thus are more enlightened than repressive. The Pauline teaching is not sexually renunciatory and proto-celibate, as it has long been understood to be since the early church fathers--Hands off, don't sexually touch women, full stop. Stay away. Women are Tertullian's doorway to the devil (ianua diaboli). Rather, his teaching is: Men of Christ in Corinth, don't violate women's sexual volition and bodily integrity. Stay out of the porneia line-ups of men raping women and girls turned into slave whores through ravaging conquest. That sex is fiery evil (purousthai). Instead, get legitimately married (gameisthai) to avoid burning if you cannot readily be an 'ace' (asexual)*, as I (Paul) am able to be (cf 1 Cor 7:9)« (Source: Online Program)

Wikipedia: Ancient history: Ancient Rome / Ancient Corinth, Greece in the Roman era | Religious text: New Testament / Pauline epistles, First Epistle to the Corinthians | Sex and the law: Rape / History of rape