The Church’s marriage-degrading clergy drove the medieval attack on women.

Evidence

His critique of the Essenes begins with their matrimonial practices. Most Essenes remain unmarried, according to Jacques, because the men do not trust the women to keep their marriage vows. Those who do marry, however, are permitted to share their wives with other men if the women are unable to conceive with their husbands. This is because the purpose of marriage is not the satisfaction of sexual desire, but the procreation of children. — James Renton, Ben Gidley (eds.), Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe, 208 (#expands, via linked claim)

This warlike civilization has only scorn for women. The knight is not interested in women: his horse is a treasure of much higher value to him; in the epics, girls are always the ones to make the first step toward young men; once married, they alone are expected to be faithful; the man dissociates them from his life. “Cursed be the knight who takes counsel from a lady on when to joust.” And in Renaud de Montauban, there is this diatribe: “Go back into your painted and golden quarters, sit ye down in the shade, drink, eat, embroider, dye silk, but do not busy yourself with our affairs. Our business is to fight with the sword and steel. Silence!” — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 207 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Church doctrine both sanctified and prohibited marriage generating the women’s quarrel. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 220; Medieval writers attacked religious minorities through their marriage and sexual customs — James Renton, Ben Gidley (eds.), Antisemitism and Islamophobia in…, 208; Feudal knighthood’s ethos actively scorned women and their counsel — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 207 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Medieval writers attacked religious minorities through their marriage and sexual customs #expands (0.85) — James Renton, Ben Gidley (eds.), Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe, 208
• Feudal knighthood’s ethos actively scorned women and their counsel #corroborates (0.82) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 207
• Medieval attacks on Islam centered on its denial of chastity and reason #expands (0.80)
• Medieval thinkers claimed polygyny caused women to sin mentally through unsatisfied desire #expands (0.78) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 813
• Medieval apologists defended marriage’s permanence by calling wives colleagues. #contradicts (0.75) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 810
• Excess rival males over scarce fertile females drove knightly combat in medieval Europe #expands (0.75) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 169
• Ancient religious and legal codes across cultures uniformly framed woman as vile or subordinate. #expands (0.72)