by Hugh Foy

When Did We See You Naked? Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse by Jayme R. Reaves, David Tombs, and Rocio Figueroa (SCM Press, London, 2021)

Professor David Tombs first proposed the thesis that Roman crucifixion included sexual humiliation and abuse in 1999. It has therefore been debated and dialogued for a considerable time in parts of academia. In this book he attempts to open the discussion further and provoke a deeper debate in the light of the recent abuse crises across the Christian denominations. An international group, the contributors vary in the level of agreement with Tombs’ proposition. Several share the strong belief that Jesus was sexually abused. For some this includes the possibility of rape, for others there is straightforward evidence that Jesus experienced ‘abusive acts’ without subscribing to Tombs’ perspective in full.

Tombs explores this belief not only from the historical texts and what is known of the actual crucifixion practices in the Roman Empire, but also from comparisons with wider historical and contemporary torture practices. The reality of ‘unspeakable violence’ is at the heart of his analysis (as it was in his PhD thesis). He seeks to outline the connecting transhistorical psychological dynamics of torture, and the way in which sexual humiliation is fundamental to the destruction of dignity in any incidence of torture.

Hugh Foy is a member of the Open House board