The Journal of Urology
Volume 178, Issue 1 , Pages 31-34, July 2007

The Circumcision of Jesus Christ

  • Johan J. Mattelaer

      Affiliations

    • History Office, European Association of Urology, Kortrijk, Belgium
    • ,
  • Robert A. Schipper

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Sakti Das

      Affiliations

    • History Committee, American Urological Association, Linthicum, Maryland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence: 1890 Via Ferrari, Lafayette, California 94549 (telephone: 925-639-5707).

Received 1 September 2006 published online 10 May 2007.

Purpose

We study the controversies manifested in religious writings, art, sculpture and music as well as the theological disputes surrounding the circumcision of Jesus Christ.

Materials and Methods

Data are derived from relevant historical and theological articles.

Results

Jesus Christ was circumcised as a Jew on the 8th day after his birth. Until 1960 the Catholic church celebrated the day as Circumcision Day. In medieval times the holy foreskin was worshipped in many European churches.

Conclusions

Christianity never condoned the ritual of circumcision and established the sacrament of baptism in its place.

Key Words: circumcision, male, Christianity, foreskin, theology

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 30.00 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S0022-5347(07)00524-1

doi:10.1016/j.juro.2007.03.016

The Journal of Urology
Volume 178, Issue 1 , Pages 31-34, July 2007

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution