What is a biblical theology of sexuality? Part 1

Sep 26, 2019 by Jill

by Ian Paul, Psephizo:

Much of the current debate, both within the Church of England and in other denominations, when it does focus on the Bible, often gets lost in the minutiae of discussion about single verses or even individual terms, as if the debate could be settled in this atomistic way. The details are indeed important—but they also build into a bigger picture, and it is this bigger picture which is often missed, but is the real measure of any proposal to change the church’s teaching of offer an innovative ethics. The big picture also has the potential to critique aspects of the ‘traditional’ teaching on sexuality; it would be hard to argue that the Church has got its teaching consistently right or healthy in past generations!

So what does a big-picture biblical theology look like? This is what I have offered in churches where I have spoken on sexuality, so the particular debates we are having now find a larger theological context. I propose eight affirmations that we find in Scripture, which seem to me to be broadly assumed across the whole biblical narrative. I’d be interested in any observations about where this list might be revised. I am aware that this isn’t a robust, ‘academic’ exposition—but it seems to me to be a fair summary of the broad theological themes in Scripture.

Read here

Read Part 2 here

See also: Sexual Ethics, Human Nature, and New Natural Law Theory, By Melissa Moschella, Public Discourse