Philosophy, Theology

Male and Female in Modernity

Taught by Alastair Roberts
Difficulty: Intermediate
Crosslist: None
Runs 4/8 – 6/15/24
$225.00 – $399.00

 

Christian teaching regarding the sexes has grown in prominence as a source of controversy both within and without the church over the past century. Yet these debates often devolve into hurling around proof-texts, straining the gnats of first-century context, and contesting abstract ideas about rights, progress, and equality. What all sides often fail to consider is how much the material changes of modernity have affected this whole topic.

 

This course will consider ways that the transformed material realities of the modern world and its associated ideas have altered both how we understand ourselves as male and female, as well as how sexual relations are practised and conceptualized more broadly. By examining the greater felt incompatibility between scriptural teaching and social reality and practice, considering topical issues and live debates, and engaging with important texts, it will propose ways in which we can thoughtfully and faithfully understand, adhere to, and communicate Christian teaching in the twenty-first century.

 

Deadline to register: Friday, March 29th

The syllabus for this class is now available. You can access it here.

 

 

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Auditing ($225):

participate in readings and live class sessions, but no graded assignments and no course credit

Full course (Full-Time Discount) ($275):

for-credit courses (at least four per term) toward our Certificate or M.Litt in Classical Protestantism

Full course ($399):

individual classes on a for-credit basis; you can later apply them toward a Certificate or Degree

 

ENROLL NOW

Description

This Theology course will be taught by Alastair Roberts, and will run from April 8th through June 15th. The syllabus will be posted when available.

Christian teaching regarding the sexes has grown in prominence as a source of controversy both within and without the church over the past century. Yet these debates often devolve into hurling around proof-texts, straining the gnats of first-century context, and contesting abstract ideas about rights, progress, and equality. What all sides often fail to consider is how much the material changes of modernity have affected this whole topic.

This course will consider ways that the transformed material realities of the modern world and its associated ideas have altered both how we understand ourselves as male and female, as well as how sexual relations are practiced and conceptualized more broadly. By examining the greater felt incompatibility between scriptural teaching and social reality and practice, considering topical issues and live debates, and engaging with important texts, it will propose ways in which we can thoughtfully and faithfully understand, adhere to, and communicate Christian teaching in the twenty-first century.

 

The syllabus for this class is now available. You can access it here.

 

Dr. Alastair Roberts (Ph.D. University of Durham) is a Teaching Fellow of The Theopolis Institute and lecturer for Davenant Hall, a leading evangelical blogger and writer, and one of the hosts of the Mere Fidelity podcast. His personal podcast is Alastair’s Adversaria, where, alongside topical interviews, he currently produces daily reflections upon the whole Bible. He is the author of Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (2018). He is married to Susannah, and they divide their time between the UK and the US.

 

Details

Online only, runs 10 weeks, meeting 2 hr./wk. via Zoom. Students will also have the option to participate in class discussion on the Davenant Common Room Discord server. Register to reserve your spot and schedule will be set after a poll of participating students; if the class time does not fit your schedule, you will be eligible for a full refund.

This is a graduate-level course. Although a BA is not a necessary pre-requisite for this course, students should come prepared to do graduate-level work.