Abstract

This article argues that the institution of matrimony, as a legitimate and legitimating arena for sexual relations, is a crucial object for investigating the historical construction of the relationship between gender identity and sexuality. An analysis of some 17th century authors - doctors, moral theologians and confessors - demonstrates that matrimony requires the production of knowledge about the body that defines the boundaries of «normality» and «capability». In addition, the discipline of conjugal sexuality constructed gender roles through a dialectical relationship between canon law, moral theology, and medical-scientific knowledge.