Ethics of Sex (New Dimensions to Religious Ethics) by Mark D. Jordan

New Dimensions to Religious Ethics

by Mark D. Jordan

The topic of sexual ethics and interest in sexuality in theology generally, has grown considerably in recent years. Mark Jordan has written a provocative and stimulating introduction to the issues involved, filling a much-needed void in this field. Jordan summarizes key topics and themes in the teaching and discussion of religious ethics as well as pushing forward the debate in interesting and original directions. The Ethics of Sex is divided into three parts, covering problems in principles of ethics, difficulties in the history of ethics, such as marriage, divorce, and crimes against nature; and finally, new possibilities in Christianity, such as redeeming pleasure. The discussion throughout the volume shows the distinctive power of Christian rhetoric to create, develop, and impose moral identities for which sex is central. Some of these identities are positive, such as the Virgin Martyr, which others are sexual sin-identities, such as the Adulterer or the Sodomite. However, we can only move beyond these established "characters" by recognizing that they were written to be theological roles – and that some theology may be needed to rewrite them.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Religion, Sexuality

Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Mark D. Jordan is the Andrew Mellon Professor of Christian Thought at Harvard Divinity School and Professor of the Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. His focus is on European philosophy, gender studies, and sexuality. Much of his early work related to Catholic teachings of Thomas Aquinas. In recent years, he has more specifically focused on religious doctrine and its relation to LGBT issues.

In addition to his scholarship and classroom teaching, Jordan has discussed sexual and religious issues to audiences that range from college lectureships to National Public Radio, the New York Times, and CNN.

Jordan won the annual Randy Shilts Award for nonfiction for his 2011 book, Recruiting Young Love: How Christians Talk about Homosexuality.

Prior to his return to Harvard in 2014, Jordan had held endowed professorships at Emory, Washington University at St. Louis, Notre Dame and at Harvard. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright-Hays grant (Spain), a Luce Fellowship in Theology, and a grant from the Ford Foundation.

Jordan received his BA from St. John’s College and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He grew up in Dallas, where he graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Breen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now *this* was fascinating. Especially the last chapter, “Redeeming Pleasures”, connecting Christian mysticism to various “condemned” sexual acts. When connecting Christian ascetic practices to sadomasochistic sex, “we might be led to wonder whether the main spiritual lesson to be learned in all of human life is the presence of God under affliction”!

[Josh Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it to be a really brilliant introduction to Christian sexual ethics. Mostly because the writing is just stellar - really clear and easy to read, without sarcificing any nuance.
The book is largely non-polemical, providing an introduction to several key ideas throughout the history of Christian sexual ethics. Where there is a larger argument of the book it is to argue two premises:
1) In the Christian tradition, sexual identities have largely been considered more important than sexual acts within themselves.
2) The Church and state have throughout the majority of Christian history been partners in policing human sex, and that this is now an area that has become the responsibility of the state - and that this was a more fundamental shift for Christian sexual ethics than such events as the sexual revolution.

To me the second premise felt to be better argued than the first, but to really make a call on this, much deeper study would be required.

[Tynan Brooks]

Would've liked something more constructive, but it's hardly the only book I've read on Christian sexual ethics, and whatever issues I have with it, it's still a useful addition to that library.

[Zhenya · Rating 3 out of 5]

a stretch

[Peter]

This reviewer's copy has 198 pages.

Just a couple of random picks: on p142, the reader is fed "To accept that Christian moral theology is no longer privileged speech about sexual matters is to accept that it must find a new rhetoric." appears to be one way of putting it. The rest of the page is even better. And on p156, "we might make more progress with Christianity's negative judgment on sex if we took it not as a historical puzzle, but as a rhetorical challenge." OK. And on the same page, "What alternate topics or roles does Christian rhetoric already offer us for discovering how to say more persuasive things about sexual pleasure?" I look forward to reading the rest of the book.

[Ryan Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The formatting is not something for the casual reader but the the content is interesting and entertaining - covering the history, theology and concepts writhing sex and religious thought. Some of my favorite... "Did you know.." Comments come from this book.