THEO41030: CHRISTIAN GENDER

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• to introduce and use gender theory - especially in the work of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler - for understanding how Christianity imagines bodies - their sex and gender - in relationship to one another and to God
• to explore the complex relations between Christian understandings of the sexed body and prevailing cultural and intellectual understandings of the body.

• Includes such topics as Thomas Laqueur's argument for the modern making of sex; Michel Foucault's arguments regarding the modern making of homosexuality and heterosexuality; ancient and medieval Christian constructions of the body and its desires; Judith Butler's idea of performativity and its relevance for Christianity; the theological tradition of scared eroticism; the decline of early Christian celibacy and the rise of modern Christian marriage, including same-sex marriage.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• knowledge of gender theory (constructivist and performative)
• understanding of Christian constructions of the sexed body and its desires and of Christian symbolics with regard to the desiring body as a site for spiritual meaning and encounter
• knowledge of the sexing and gendering of God in Christian theology and devotion
• understanding of the role of Christian theology in the invention of 'homosexuality' and 'heterosexuality'

Subject-specific Skills:

• the ability to use gender theory for understanding Christian constructions of the body
• the ability to analyze gender ideologies in theological discourses
• the ability to synthesize gender theory and theology
• the ability to analyze and construct theological arguments

Key Skills:

• advanced research skills, including the ability to locate, summarise and reference key sources, both in print and online, and to cite them to a professional standard
• advanced communication skills, including the ability to construct a sophisticated argument, supported by the sources, in a clear, concise and convincing manner

• Seminar classes allow the module leader to provide an overview of the subject, across the module and for particular classes, offering guidance on the readings that form the basis for discussion. But they also allow for that discussion in which students can engage directly with the material and with one another. Subject specific knowledge and key skills will be fostered through this interaction.
• Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, and the skills of written presentation. These skills and the knowledge and understanding they serve are assessed in the summative essay.

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