Claiming Ælred of Rievaulx: Queer Christian Lineages in the Making (1980s–2020s)

The contemporary trajectory of Ælred of Rievaulx illustrates how a medieval figure can become a disputed symbol in Western Christianity. The Cistercian abbot crystallizes contradictory visions: a queer icon of an inclusive genealogy for some, a guarantor of sublimated chastity for others, a doctrinal threat for conservatives. Behind these reappropriations lies a broader issue: how Christian churches grapple with the inversion of the homosexual question and redefine the place of desire, friendship and holiness. Ælred thus appears as a mirror of contemporary tensions, revealing the difficulty for Christianity to articulate doctrinal fidelity, pastoral hospitality and changing sensibilities.