Description: This is the first comprehensive account of the development of the ideas on gender of Jacob Boehme (1575-1624) among his English followers. It traces the changes in thought on gender and sexuality in such esoteric traditions as alchemy, Hermeticism and the Cabala. The book argues that Behmenist thought in these areas is a neglected aspect of the revision in the moral status of women during the early modern period, contributing significantly to the rise of the Romantic notion of womanhood and "Victorian" sexual ideology.
Review Quotes: "Gibbons has succeeded in his aim of making the thought of Jakob Boehme more widely known, but he has also achieved considerably more. This book is a multi-faceted survey of the intellectual framework within which Behmenist ideas on gender operated. It constitutes an admirable addition to the literature."