Winter 2016/Pasadena
ET521
Dufault-Hunter
ET521: SEXUALITY AND ETHICS (4 Units: 160 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 convicted civility when discussing sex and sexuality.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion.
REQUIRED READING: 1,500 pp. of required reading.
Grant, Jonathan. Divine Sex: A Compelling Vision for Christian Relationships in a Hypersexualized Age. Brazos Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1587433696, Pub. Price $17.99 [220 pp.].
Loader, William. The New Testament on Sexuality. Eerdmans, 2012. ISBN: 978-0802867247, Pub. Price $65.00 [Reading sections totaling approx. 300 pp.].
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 $26.95 [excluding regression models and notes, we read 200 pp. of this text].
In an effort to keep costs down for students while accessing quality material, numerous articles and shorter readings are required from Eugene Rogers, Sarah Coakley, John Paul II, Ellen Davis, Christian Smith, and Kyle Harper. Students must also read several blog postings from spiritualfriendship.org. These will be available via eReserves and the web. [approx. 700 pp.].
RECOMMENDED READING: A list of recommended reading will be provided in the syllabus.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
1,500 pp. of reading [75 hours].
Five short, precisely-composed 90-120 word postings on Moodle that critically engage with the readings (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 & 2]. [5 hours].
Three 1,000-word critical book/article reviews [approx. 4 double-spaced pages; note that papers can be/may need to be re-written for higher grade or to meet course expectations]. (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 & 2]. [25 hours].
Final project: 1,500-2,000-word articulation of how your theology of the erotic/sexual life shapes your prayers, practices, and ministry OR alternative artistic response that includes a two-page written reflection (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome 3]. [15 hours].
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: Option to meet the C5 or TH5 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Option to count in Christian Ethics emphasis.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.