-1- Eunuchs and the Postgender Jesus: Matthew 19:12 and ...

23, wherein the eunuch becomes a symbol of one “cut off from wisdom.” Ironically, even
Origen’s commentary on Matthew 19:12 also rejects a literal reading of the text. He
denounced castration as the morally weaker choice: a “true” eunuch is not one who
eliminates the ability to have sex, but one who eliminates the desire for sex. 97 As Jerome,
following upon Clement, 98 puts it, “Necessity makes another man a eunuch, my will makes
me one.” 99
-27-
The influence of these early Alexandrian interpreters grew over time and made its
impact felt even upon the East, where Gregory Nazianzos, 100 Epiphanius, 101 Eusebius, 102
Athanasius 103 and John Chrysostom 104 (among others) all accepted the figurative and
allegorical reading of 19:12. Based upon a notion of a more rigorous spiritual askesis,
aware of Levitical and Deuteronomic legislation against castration, and taking full
advantage of their elite education, these authors advocated a reading that ran contrary to
the more popular, more “self-evident” one being practiced apparently quite widely.
From this point of view, they could offer, albeit with great difficulty, and sometimes
with great ambiguity and ambivalence, 105 an alternative to ritual castration. Feeling
97 Cf. Eusebius, Commentarius in Isaiam, 1.22 and 1.37; Athanasius, Orations Against the Arians, 1.27;
Ringrose, “Living in the Shadows,” n. 49, p. 517.
98 Clement, Paedagogus iii.58.3.
99 Hieronymus, Letters xxii.19.
100 Gregory Nazianzos, Discourses 32-37.
101 Epiphanius, Panarion.
102 Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History vi.8.1, speaking on Origen.
103 Athanasius, Homily on the Song of Songs in P.G., vol. 27, col. 1332.
104 John Chrysostom, Homily XXXV on Chapter XIV of Genesis in P.G., vol. 58, col. 599.
105 Tertullian has a difficult time denying the symbolic usefulness of castration. Cf. Keufler, The Manly
Eunuch, 260-273. Jerome praised Origen for his choice of castration (Letters lxxxiv.8).