Abstract
In search of the contours of theological ethics of human sexuality with regard to homosexuality: a Reformed perspectiveThis article offers a description and discussion of the contours of theological ethics of human sexuality, with regard to homosexuality. In the first part of the article, the topic of homosexuality is discussed within the larger historical development of the concept of human nature in the broader tradition of the church. Here special attention is paid to the views of Philo of Alexandria, St. Augustine and St. Aquinas, showing that the right and wrong of the sexual act were judged in terms of the procreative potential of the act. In the second part of the article, I propose a reformed perspective with regard to sexual ethics. This is done by a re-reading of the concept of human nature, by removing it from the traditional Roman Catholic “nature-grace” paradigm of salvation and re-reading it in terms of the reformed paradigm of “creation (law)-sin-gospel”. I argue that behind this paradigm shift, there is a movement from an ontology of being to an ontology of relationality and that this implies a move from procreation as the foundation of sexual ethics to the seeking of erotic justice in all our intimate relationships as a basis for sexual ethics.
Highlights
In the first part of the article, the topic of homosexuality is discussed within the larger historical development of the concept of human nature in the broader tradition of the church
In the second part of the article, I propose a reformed perspective with regard to sexual ethics. This is done by a re-reading of the concept of human nature, by removing it from the traditional Roman Catholic “nature-grace” paradigm of salvation and re-reading it in terms of the reformed paradigm of “creation-singospel”
I argue that behind this paradigm shift, there is a movement from an ontology of being to an ontology of relationality and that this implies a move from procreation as the foundation of sexual ethics to the seeking of erotic justice in all our intimate relationships as a basis for sexual ethics
Summary
Die artikel wil aantoon dat die manier waarop die kerk menslike seksualiteit vir eeue verstaan het, ten nouste verweef is met ’n bepaalde verstaan van menslike natuur, wat weer ingebed was in die Middeleeuse skolastiese natuur-genade skema. Hierdie patriargale manlike verstaan van “menslike natuur” het nie alleen vir eeue vroue onderdruk nie, maar ook daartoe gelei dat ’n verskynsel soos homoseksualiteit “as teen-natuurlik” gedink is. Die Reformasie berus op ’n wet-sonde-evangelie paradigma, wat ’n ander relasionele ontologie tot stand bring en myns insiens ’n nuwe begronding vir seksuele etiek moontlik maak. In terme van seksualiteit impliseer dit dat ons seksuele etiek nie langer definieer in terme van biologie en prokreasie nie, maar eerder as die soeke na geregtigheid in al ons verhoudings – van die mees intieme verhoudings tot die omvattendste politieke magskonstellasies. Seksuele etiek wat onderlê word deur ’n soeke na geregtigheid, maak dit vir die kerk moontlik om ’n pluraliteit van gendergroepe, (LGBTQI) te akkommodeer, sonder om praktyke soos pedofilie te legitimeer
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