Spring 2014/Fuller Live!
Colorado Springs, Irvine, and Pasadena
ET521
Dufault-Hunter
ET521: SEXUALITY AND ETHICS (4 Units). Erin Dufault-Hunter.
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 social science, Scripture, and church tradition; and (4) students will practice in the classroom and in their writing civil discourse and “convicted civility” when discussing sex and sexuality.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet once a week for three-hour sessions that will consist of interactive lectures and small group discussion. Note that this is a Fuller LIVE course. Professor will primarily teach via polycom from Pasadena but will also travel at least once to polycom from each of the two other campuses listed
REQUIRED READING:
Loader, William. The New Testament on Sexuality. Eerdmans, 2012. ISBN: 978-0802867247, Pub. Price $65.00 [Reading sections totaling approx. 300 pages].
Regnerus, Mark, and Jeremy Uecker. Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think about Marrying. Oxford, 2011. ISBN:978-0199743285, Pub. Price $24.95 [excluding regression models and notes, we are reading about 200 pp. of this text].
Roberts, Christopher. Creation and Covenant: The Significance of Sexual Difference in the Moral Theology of Marriage. T & T Clark, 2008. ISBN: 978-0567027467, Pub. Price $49.95 [247 pp.].
Simon, Caroline J. Bringing Sex into Focus: The Quest for Sexual Integrity. IVP Academic, 2012. ISBN: 978-830836376, Pub. Price $15.00 [176 pp.].
In an effort to keep costs down for students while accessing quality material, numerous articles and shorter readings are required from authors such as Eugene Rogers, Sarah Coakley, John Paul II, Ellen Davis, Christian Smith, and Linda Whitehead. Students must also read several blog postings from spiritualfriendship.org. These will be available via eReserves and the web. Note: Given wide range of materials in terms of difficulty and technicality, total pages for quarter approximately 1,500 pages.
RECOMMENDED READING: A list of recommended reading will be provided in the syllabus.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Short, precise 90-120 word postings each week on Moodle that critically engage with the readings (30%).
Two 1000-word critical book/article reviews (40%) [approx. 4 double-spaced pages].
FINAL project: 1500-2000 word articulation of how your theology of the erotic/sexual life shapes your prayers, practices, and ministry (30%) OR alternative artistic response that includes a two-page written reflection.
Note: Course evaluation primarily emphasizes writing. If critical analysis and writing is not your strong suit, consider taking the course pass/fail.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.