RELS 26748 - Sex and the Bible

Course Credit: 1
Maximum Credit: 0

Sex and the Bible This course is about sex and interpretation, focusing on how Jews and Christians have interpreted the Bible around the subject of human sexuality. The questions that we will consider include: What does it mean to say a particular view of sexuality and sexual behavior is “biblical” given the sheer variety of possible interpretations? How have changing notions of human sexuality affected the way that the biblical text is understood and deployed? We will explore these questions by reading key biblical texts from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament and their interpretation by thinkers from antiquity up to the present. Topics to be covered include marriage, gender, desire, same-sex relationships, and sexual renunciation. No previous study of religion or biblical studies is assumed or required. [R]