Title: After Their Kind: Sexual Identities in Christian Theology

Date and Time: 23 Feb, 5pm to 6pm, with drinks reception to follow

Location: University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Sexual identity now seems indispensable. We use it to describe ourselves or one another. We connect it to our other identities, such as gender and race. In Christian churches, we use it for teaching moral matters or debating them. But sexual identity is in fact a relatively recent notion. It entered Christian theology only a few decades back. Its rapid acceptance raises more basic questions: What kinds of sexual labels do Christian teachers want for talking about sex? Are those the labels that they really need? What would Christian moral theology look like without sexual identities?

Mark Jordan is Eastman Professor for this term in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. At other times, he is Niebuhr Research Professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School. He writes about Christian moral theologies for sex and gender, the relations of theology to literature, and the diversity of spirituality in queer communities.

Sexual identity now seems indispensable. We use it to describe ourselves or one another. We connect it to our other identities, such as gender and race. In Christian churches, we use it for teaching moral matters or debating them. But sexual identity is in fact a relatively recent notion. It entered Christian theology only a few decades back. Its rapid acceptance raises more basic questions: What kinds of sexual labels do Christian teachers want for talking about sex? Are those the labels that they really need? What would Christian moral theology look like without sexual identities?

Mark Jordan is Eastman Professor for this term in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. At other times, he is Niebuhr Research Professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School. He writes about Christian moral theologies for sex and gender, the relations of theology to literature, and the diversity of spirituality in queer communities.

Sexual identity now seems indispensable. We use it to describe ourselves or one another. We connect it to our other identities, such as gender and race. In Christian churches, we use it for teaching moral matters or debating them. But sexual identity is in fact a relatively recent notion. It entered Christian theology only a few decades back. Its rapid acceptance raises more basic questions: What kinds of sexual labels do Christian teachers want for talking about sex? Are those the labels that they really need? What would Christian moral theology look like without sexual identities?

Mark Jordan is Eastman Professor for this term in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. At other times, he is Niebuhr Research Professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School. He writes about Christian moral theologies for sex and gender, the relations of theology to literature, and the diversity of spirituality in queer communities.

Sexual identity now seems indispensable. We use it to describe ourselves or one another. We connect it to our other identities, such as gender and race. In Christian churches, we use it for teaching moral matters or debating them. But sexual identity is in fact a relatively recent notion. It entered Christian theology only a few decades back. Its rapid acceptance raises more basic questions: What kinds of sexual labels do Christian teachers want for talking about sex? Are those the labels that they really need? What would Christian moral theology look like without sexual identities?

Mark Jordan is Eastman Professor for this term in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. At other times, he is Niebuhr Research Professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School. He writes about Christian moral theologies for sex and gender, the relations of theology to literature, and the diversity of spirituality in queer communities.

Prof. Jordan will also hold a postgraduate seminar based on the lecture in 7th or 8th week, further details to follow.