Table of Contents

Introduction – Or, a Welcome to My Readers ix

Part I Sex, Gender, and Theology 1

1 Sex: Sexuality, the Sexes, Having Sex 3

1.1 Sexuality 3

1.2 How Many Sexes are There? 6

1.3 Having Sex 14

2 Gender: Language, Power, and History 17

2.1 Gender 17

2.2 Gender, Language, and Power 23

2.3 Gender in the Time of Jesus 28

3 Theology: Sources and Applications 33

3.1 Explaining the Sources: Scripture, Tradition, Reason 33

3.2 Applying the Sources 40

3.3 Using the Sources Well 49

Part II Being Theological about Sex 55

4 Desiring 57

4.1 Learning from Lust 57

4.2 Desiring 62

4.3 Desiring God? 66

4.4 God Desiring Us? 69

5 Framing Sex: Must the Framework be Marriage? 76

5.1 The Traditional Framework: Celibacy or Marriage? 76

5.2 The Case against Marriage 79

5.3 Alternative Frameworks: Justice and Friendship? 87

5.4 A New Case for Marriage? 89

6 Covenants and Covenant-Makers 96

6.1 Beginning with God 96

6.2 God the Father – Maker of Covenants 100

6.3 Christ – The Bridegroom, Maker of a New Covenant 106

6.4 The Eucharist – Sharing in the New Covenant 111

Part III Being Theological about Gender 115

7 God: Beyond Male and Female 117

7.1 Does God Have [a] Sex? 118

7.2 Is God the Son a Man? 123

7.3 Mary – Mother of All the Living 127

7.4 Womankind in God’s Likeness? 131

8 ‘‘In Christ there is neither Male nor Female’’ 135

8.1 Sex in the Body of Christ 135

8.2 Gender in the Body of Christ 139

8.3 Masculinity in the Body of Christ 143

8.4 . . . Neither . . . Male nor Female . . .? 149

Part IV Being Theological about Same-Sex Love 155

9 The Bible and Same-Sex Love 157

9.1 What the Churches Teach 157

9.2 Same-Sex Relations in the Hebrew Bible 159

9.3 Same-Sex Relations in the New Testament 163

9.4 What Else Does the Bible ‘‘Say’’ about Same-Sex Relations? 168

9.5 Finding What We Want to Find? Evaluating Official Teaching 171

10 Tradition, Reason, and Same-Sex Love 175

10.1 Tradition and Same-Sex Love 175

10.2 Reason, Natural Law, and Same-Sex Love 180

10.3 Complementarity and Same-Sex Love 185

10.4 Experience and Same-Sex Love 188

Part V Learning to Love 191

11 Virginity, Celibacy, Chastity 193

11.1 Valuing Virginity? 193

11.2 Virginity ‘‘for the Sake of the Kingdom’’ 196

11.3 In Praise of Restraint 200

11.4 Commending Chastity 203

12 ‘‘Condilemmas’’: Sex and Contraception in the Time of HIV/AIDS 211

12.1 Contraception, Still a Theological Issue 211

12.2 Lambeth against Rome 214

12.3 Contraception and Natural Law 217

12.4 Sex and Love: An ‘‘Unbreakable Connection’’? 221

12.5 Moral Deficit Arguments 224

12.6 Condoms in the Time of HIV/AIDS 226

13 Marriage and the ‘‘States of Life’’ 234

13.1 Betrothal in the Bible 234

13.2 Betrothal and Tradition 237

13.3 Spousals, Nuptials, and States of Life 244

14 Inclusive Theology and Sexual Minorities 249

14.1 Sex 249

14.2 Gender 256

Index of Authors 259

Index of Biblical References 263

Index of Subjects 267

About the Author

Adrian Thatcher is currently Visiting Professor in Applied Theology at the University of Exeter, UK. He is the author of numerous books, including: The Savage Text: The Use and Abuse of the Bible (Wiley-Blackwell, 2008); Theology and Families (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007); The Guide to Christian Marriage and to Getting Married in Church (2003); Living Together and Christian Ethics (2002); and Celebrating Christian Marriage (ed., 2001).

Reviews

Many of the critiques of God, Sex, and Genderoffered inthis review emerge from Thatcher s own lines ofinterrogation. In this and other ways, the book succeeds in drawingreaders into what is truly an exhilarating mode of reflection. Assuch, it offers a major contribution towards theological depth andcreativity in this important set of discourses, renewing the oftenreflexive ethics of sex and gender through witness to the Wordbecome flesh. (Studies in Christian Ethics, 16April 2014) Written as a text for post-secondary courses, this bookaims to provide a comprehensive and consistent theologicalunderstanding of sexuality and gender, which is broad,contemporary, undogmatic, questioning, inclusive, and relevant toreaders interests, needs, and experience (xi). (Studies in Religion, 1 September2013)"Adrian Thatcher's new book will be a rich resource for thosestudying and teaching sex, gender and sexuality in theologicalperspective ... The volume is a valuable one, which I hope willprompt readers to go and explore Thatcher's own extensive work formthe past, as well as the broader context of theological scholarshipon sexuality, gender and marriage within which it sits." (Theology,1 January 2012) "Although designed as an introduction for theology students, thisis a really remarkable book covering a whole range of sensitivesubjects in a deeply humane fashion." (Network Review, 1 June 2011)