Summer 2019/Irvine

ET521

Beckett

ET521: SEXUALITY AND ETHICS (4 Units: 160 hours). Joshua Beckett.

DESCRIPTION: Popular Western culture is highly sexualized; our identities have become hitched to our sexuality, including our sexual practices or “preferences.” Contemporary Western Christian culture is generally muddled about how our sexuality matters for our discipleship; we often unknowingly adopt the assumptions of our broader culture and fail to reflect on the implications of doing so for our life and witness. This course explores our sexuality from a theological perspective and encourages development of an alternative vision for how our sexuality matters for our personal discipleship and communal witness.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will gain tools for analyzing how our culture shapes our perceptions of sexuality; (2) students will reflect on how despite Scripture’s temporal and cultural distance from us, theological interpretation can guide us in our sexual beliefs and practice; (3) students will develop a culturally relevant sexual ethic informed by Scripture, church tradition, and social science; and (4) students will practice convicted civility when discussing sex and sexuality.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets as a two-week intensive on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for three-hour sessions, and Saturdays for six-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1,200 pages of required reading.

Core Texts: Approximately 625 pages assigned.

Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1: An Introduction. Translated by Robert Hurley. Vintage Books, 1990. ISBN: 978-0679724698, Pub. Price $15.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [150 pages assigned].

Loader, William. Sexuality in the New Testament: Understanding the Key Texts. Westminster John Knox Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0664231613, Pub. Price $25.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [150 pages assigned].

Paris, Jenell Williams. The End of Sexual Identity: Why Sex Is Too Important to Define Who We Are. IVP Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830838363. Pub. Price $18.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [150 pages assigned].

Simon, Caroline J. Bringing Sex into Focus: The Quest for Sexual Integrity. IVP Books, 2012. ISBN: 978-0830836376. Pub. Price $17.00 [175 pages assigned].

Parallel Readings: Approximately 175 pages assigned. Choose ONE of the following books:

Regnerus, Mark and Jeremy Uecker. Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think About Marrying. Oxford Univ. Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199743285. Pub. Price $29.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Sprinkle, Preston, ed. Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church. Zondervan, 2016. ISBN: 978-0310528630. Pub. Price $16.99. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

West, Traci C. Disruptive Christian Ethics: When Racism and Women’s Lives Matter. Westminster John Knox Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0664229597. Pub. Price $30.00.

Yarhouse, Mark. Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture. IVP Academic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0830828593. Pub. Price $20.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

E-Reserves: Approximately 375 pages assigned.

In an effort to keep costs down for students while accessing quality material, several articles and shorter readings will be provided via Canvas, written by: Wendell Berry, Lisa Sowle Cahill,
Sarah Coakley, Patricia Hill Collins, Megan DeFranza, Erin Dufault-Hunter, Mary Eberstadht, Donna Freitas, Elizabeth Lewis Hall, Eugene Rogers, Love Sechrest, and Rowan Williams.

Scriptures: Approximately 25 pages assigned.

Additionally, preparation for each class session includes meditation on an assigned passage from the Bible, in connection with the theme of the week.

RECOMMENDED READING: A list of recommended reading materials will be provided in the syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

30 hours of class time.
1,200 pages of required reading (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, & 3].
[80 hours].
Composition of a weekly journal (250 words) reflecting on the biblical passage of the week in relation to sexual ethics (10%). [This DLA assignment is related to learning outcome 2]. [5 hours].
Video presentation (5 minutes long) analyzing and briefly interpreting the sexual scripts latent in a cultural artifact, concluding with a Christian ethical response that practices convicted civility (10%). [This DLA assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2 & 4]. [5 hours].
Completion of two 5-page critical book reviews (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 3, & 4]. [15 hours].
2500-3000 word final paper comparing two views of sexuality, concluding with an outline of the student’s own theological ethic of sexuality and how this vision shapes Christian practices such as prayer, marriage, dating, and celibacy (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 2, 3, & 4]. [25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C5 or TH5 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Option to count in Christian Ethics emphasis.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.