Saint Marinos the Monk: Crossing the Gender Binary in Early Christian Lebanon

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Queer History of Religion

Benjamin Ale-Ebrahim

2 episodes

6 days ago

This podcast explores the queer histories of world religious traditions through the lens of storytelling. We focus on narratives, myths, and biographies of influential LGBTQ+ figures throughout the past and present to explore the intersections of religion, gender, and sexuality.

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Saint Marinos the Monk: Crossing the Gender Binary in Early Christian Lebanon

Queer History of Religion

32 minutes 47 seconds

2 years ago

Saint Marinos the Monk: Crossing the Gender Binary in Early Christian Lebanon

Marinos lived in the fifth century in what is now Lebanon. Marinos was a monk who was assigned female at birth, the daughter of a wealthy Christian family. Originally named Marina, Marinos changed his name and adopted a masculine identity when he became a monk and entered the monastery alongside his father. Despite his well-known reputation for piety and devotion, Marinos was falsely accused of adultery and raised a son in the monastery while also remaining steadfast in his duties as a monk. At his death, Marinos was discovered to have been born female and his innocence as an adulterer was proven beyond any doubt. He soon became revered as a saint in the local community and his tomb emerged as a site for pilgrimage and devotion. Today, Marinos is recognized as a saint by the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon, the Coptic Church in Egypt, and – as of 2022 – the Episcopal Church in the United States. He is considered by many contemporary trans and queer Christians to be an early example of transgender acceptance within church history.

Episode art: Saint Marina the Monk presented to the monastery (Sainte Marine présentée au monastère). Cote : Français 241 , Fol. 139v. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_the_Monk#/media/File:Marina_the_monk.jpg

References:

Bychowski, M. W. Transgender Saints: The Imitatio Christi of St. Marinos the Monk. www.thingstransform.com/2016/08/transgender-saints-imitatio-christi-of.html.
Cherry, Kittredge. “Marinos / Marina the Monk: Transgender Parenting Role Model and Patron Saint.” Q Spirit, 18 June 2023, qspirit.net/marinos-marina-monk-transgender/.
Friendly Fire Collective. “Saint Saturday: Saint Marinos– Trans Monk, Beggar, and Adoptive Father.” Friendly Fire Collective, 18 Nov. 2018, friendlyfirecollective.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/saint-saturday-saint-marinos-trans-monk-beggar-and-adoptive-father/.
Hourani, Gita. “Saint Marina the Monk.” Maronite Institute, www.maronite-institute.org/MARI/JMS/january00/Saint_Marina_the_Monk.htm.
“Marina the Monk.” Wikipedia, 8 Dec. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_the_Monk.
“Marina the Monk, Monastic, 5th Century.” The Episcopal Church, www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/marina-the-monk/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“Santa Maria Formosa.” Wikipedia, 21 Mar. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Formosa. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“St. Marina - CopticChurch.net.” Coptic Church, www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/saints/marina.html.
Terence. “Queer Saints and Martyrs (and Others): Marina/Marinos of Alexandria 12/02.” Queer Saints and Martyrs (and Others), 12 Feb. 2012, queering-the-church.blogspot.com/2012/02/marinamarinos-of-alexandria-1202.html.
Trinity Church Wall Street. “Saint Marinos/Marina the Monk." Facebook, 17 June 2021, www.facebook.com/TrinityWallSt/videos/230384615313735/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Vogt, Kari. “The Woman Monk: A Theme in Byzantine Hagiography.” Greece & Gender, Bergen, 1995, pp. 141–48.