The Significance of Gender and Sexuality for the Major World Religions - Essay Example

Library Research and Essay Plan Chosen essay topic: In sociological terms, what is the significance of gender and sexuality for the major world religions? Discuss with reference to either Christianity or Islam. Starting point: This essay will explore the significance of gender and sexuality for a major religion, with emphasis on the Christian faith. It will discuss the roles and meanings of gender and sexuality as regards religion in general and Christianity in particular and how religion, in turn, has affected mankind’s views on sexuality and gender. The key words to be used in the library research are: gender, sexuality, religion. Relevance of Each Reference: Bray, G., L. 2000, ‘Image of God’ is a thought-provoking article about God and spirituality. In it, the author explores the idea of man being made in the likeness of God and how being reborn in Christianity can be seen as the reinstatement of the lost image of God in us. Brewer, C. 2001, Holy Confrontation: Religion, Gender and Sexuality in the Philippines, 1521-1685 is a good resource not only for religion in the Philippines, but for religion, gender and sexuality studies in general. In the book, the author focuses on the role of women in early Philippine society during the colonial era as regards the missionary efforts of the Spanish. It argues that the activities of the Spanish missionaries during the time of colonizing and converting of the natives have left long-term effects on how Philippine society view women and their position in society. Budziszewski, J. 2006, ‘What’s good about sex?’ provides a comprehensive discussion on the Christian viewpoint towards sex and sexuality written by a sociologist. Cahill, L. S. 1996, Sex, Gender, and Christian Ethics is a study written by a Catholic ethicist incorporating feminist concepts. Encyclical Letter of Deus Caritas Est of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Men and Women Religious and All the Lay Faithful on Christian Love, 2005 by Pope Benedict XIV is a valuable and comprehensive source for those seeking the Catholic point of view. It talks about the essence of the Christian faith which is the image of God and the resultant image of humanity and its fate. Haffner, D. W. 1997, ‘The Really Good News: What the Bible Says About Sex’ provides an extensive list and explanation of the sexual issues mentioned in the Bible. It is written by a sexuality education expert who sought to understand how the people who wrote the Scriptures treated sexuality. By studying the Scriptures, she discovers a wealth of stories and anecdotes that reveal how moral and sexual issues were tackled in the early days. Harrison, B. W. 1985, Making the Connections: Essays in Feminist Social Ethics with essays such as “Keeping Faith in a Sexist Church” provides the feminist point of view of an author with insider experience into the Christian world. Houck, D. 2004, ‘Sexuality: Gift or Curse?’ is a persuasive article rallying for the belief that sexuality is natural and is an important aspect of human identity. Jewett, P. K. 1980, The Ordination of Women is a book that asserts and celebrates the role of women in religion and society. Kotb, H. G. 2004, Sexuality in Islam provides the Islamic perspectives on sex and sexuality. Penner, T. & Stichele, V. 2007, ‘Canonized Bodies: Gender and the Formation of Early Christianity’ explains how gender issues influenced the formation of early Christianity. Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S. & Fichner-Rathus, L. 2002, Human sexuality in a world of diversity (5th ed.) explores human sexuality through different religions, cultures, eras and areas. It also explores the assortment of issues related to sexuality such as culture, gender roles, sexual outlooks, diversity, and traditions. Sands, K. 2000, ‘Public, Pubic and Private: Religion in Political Discourse’ discusses the dynamics between sexuality, gender and politics. Sullins, D. P. 2006, ‘Gender and Religiousness: Deconstructing Universality, Constructing Complexity’ is a study about the relationship between gender and religion: how gender affects religion, and how religion affects gender. ‘The Sabbath A Bride: Sexuality and Christianity’ 1997 is an article which provides a comprehensive discussion about the role of women in Christianity. Torode, S. 2005, Sex and the Early Church is an article which explains the role of sex and sexuality in the formation of the early church. Ullery, E. K. 2004, ‘Consideration of a spiritual role in sex and sex therapy’ contains a discussion about the Christian viewpoint on sex and sexuality. Vaggione, J. M. 2002, Paradoxing the secular in Latin America: Religion, gender and sexuality at the crossroads is a good source for those seeking to learn more about the linkages between religion, gender and sexuality. Vernon, M. 2000, ‘What Are Gay Men For?’ gives a radical answer to the question “What are gay men for?”. Weinrich, W. 1991, ‘Women in the History of the Church’ explores how women have influenced the Catholic Church, particularly during the Patristic Ages. It also talks about the Christian views regarding women and their role in society, as well as how this Christian view affected society’s treatment of women during ancient times. Essay Plan The essay will be divided into two parts. The first part will be about Christianity and Sexuality and the other will be about Sexuality and Gender. For each part, the history, the issues, the current/modern view, the implication/s on society and the impact on religion will be discussed. The essay will address the historical aspect of the topic by providing historical background on the issues that will be discussed. For example, for the heading Christianity and Gender, the subheadings Gender in Christian History and Women in Christian History will be discussed. To address the cultural, structural and critical aspects of the essay, the ancient views, modernist views, and cultural implications of each issue will be tackled, as well as the intersections of these topics with the historical aspect. The essay’s focus will be on the Christian faith as well as gender and sexuality issues. The essay will be divided into two parts. The section called Christianity and Sexuality will include the subheadings Sexuality and Religion, Christianity and Homosexuality (The Bible and Homosexuality, History of Homosexuality and Christianity, Modern Theological Views), and Sexuality and Spirituality while the section Christianity and Gender will include the subheadings Women in Christian History, Theological Issues (Women in the Bible, Gender and the Image of God), and Current Church Views of Women’s Roles. The Introduction will give background information regarding gender, sexuality and religion and will give a general overview of how sexuality and gender are linked to the major religions. It will cite how sexuality and gender are significant to the major religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. The Body of the paper will focus on the correlations of gender and sexuality with Christianity, which is the religion that the essay will focus on. The essay will assert that both gender and sexuality are significant aspects of religion and that gender issues and issues on sexuality have affected the development of religion, Christianity in particular. In turn, religion has also played a major role in how gender roles and issues about sexuality have evolved over time. After conducting a library research and taking notes on relevant information and resources, the outline and first draft of the paper were written. Later, further research was conducted and supplementary data was added. Information regarding the experience of women during the Middle and Patristic Ages are needed, as well as facts regarding the Catholic viewpoint on homosexuality. Gender, Sexuality and Christianity Faith is an important aspect of people’s lives, influencing the choices they make and their outlook on the world. Different religions have different views regarding sexuality, and subgroups within each religion further extend the diversity. Christianity tends to view sexuality as a means for procreation, the formation of the family unit and the union between husband and wife, and as a representation of the love between Christ and His people (Budziszewski, 2006). However, in part due to the negative portrayal of sexuality by several important historical figures, the current predominant Christian belief is that sex and sexual acts must occur only within marriages (Vaggione, 2002). All through history, Christians have been made to believe that sexuality is immoral. The belief was that the sole purpose of the sexual act is for procreation, and to receive pleasure from it was a sin. It was only when Martin Luther proclaimed that “We are justified by faith,” that the other aspects of human sexual nature were acknowledged (Houck, 2004). Judaism shares the Christian viewpoint of sexuality as an instrument for procreation; however, Jews also believe in sex for shared pleasure, granted that those engaging in the act are within the context of a marriage. The Jewish belief is that the expression of sexual desires serves to intensify the bond between husband and wife (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2002). The Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism look at sexuality as a sacred experience. However, the couple must be able to recognize each other’s sacredness, and not be motivated by selfish desires, for the sexual act to be truly blessed (Ullery, 2004). Taoists believe that it is not right to suppress sexual longing. Instead, their belief is that sexual expression between couples promotes unity and brings them closer to the Tao. The Islamic outlook considers sexuality as an important part of human nature. Muslims believe that sexual acts, which may lead to reproduction and the continuance of the human race, are founded on instinctual responses but that the Creator gave man the capacity for reason and self-control so that he may control his behavior (Kotb, 2004). Nonetheless, they also believe that the fact that humans are the only species who take part in the sexual act apart from the purpose of procreation sets us apart from all the other species that God created. Thus, mutual sexual satisfaction is both important and natural. Another controversial topic regarding religion is gender. This encompasses both the religious perspective as regards to the secular community and the religious groups themselves. Such topics include the roles of men and women in society and in religious organizations, feminism in religion, homosexuality, and the gender of God, among others. Historically, Christianity has held very strict views about gender roles, with women considered to be the inferior gender (Brewer, 2001). It was not until recently, when the Christian egalitarians began fighting for gender equality in marriage and in society that Christians began to re-assess their beliefs. This essay will explore the significance of gender and sexuality for the major religions, specifically the Christian faith. It will discuss the roles and meanings of gender and sexuality as regards religion in general and Christianity in particular and how religion, in turn, has affected mankind’s views on sexuality and gender. I. Christianity and Sexuality Opinions about sexual morality vary greatly over different time periods and between different societies. These may also be influenced by religion, since many religious groups seem to set a distinct “moral” role for sexuality in human relations. Each religion has its own set of conventions for controlling sexual activity or allotting “virtues” to sexually implicit concepts or actions for the purpose of prevention. Notwithstanding the many differences between various denominations, a generalized Christian view of sexuality can be obtained. It can be said that the Christian viewpoint has its roots in the concept that sexuality was intended for procreation and to bring a man and a woman together into a lifetime union, i.e. marriage (Torode, 2005, Encyclical Letter, 2005). This union serves as the basis for the creation of a family, which is the essence of the procreative meaning of the sexual act. Thus, sexual acts and relationships that do not serve a procreative purpose are discouraged and sometimes forbidden. This is why sodomy is considered a sin in Christianity. Nevertheless, liberated Christians insist that the modern rules regarding sexual activity and sexuality are products of a misinterpretation of the early teachings. Christianity and Homosexuality The Catholic Church has conventionally reviled homosexual relationships, giving a “law of nature” claim that is supposedly drawn from the Bible (Sands, 2000). Certain passages of the Bible such as the one in Leviticus state that same-sex relations are sinful and are even said to be a punishment for certain sins, such as idolatry (Haffner, 1997). The Church views homosexuality as opposing “natural law” and sexual expression and sexual acts as proper only in the context of marriage (Vernon, 2000). Thus, homosexuals are encouraged by the Church to be chaste, and since homosexuality is considered to be a “trial” or a “phase”, the Church also teaches us to treat them with utmost kindness and respect. Despite this pervasive opinion of homosexuality, there are several Christian denominations that have opened their doors to homosexuals. Some are devoted to being open to homosexuality and some even allow gay marriages. Sexuality and Spirituality Some people still find it hard to reconcile sexuality and spirituality, partly because religious convention considers the two to be adversative (Cahill, 1996). The belief that a true, healthy union is a complete result of many different unions (of the mind, heart, soul, etc.), and not just the physical one, was not yet held. In ancient times, Christian teachings have stated that sexuality is an impediment to spiritual growth. Nevertheless, as mankind enters into a new era of spirituality, human beings have begun to acknowledge their “baser” instincts and have learned that a healthy bond between spirituality and sexuality is necessary to achieve overall spiritual wellness. II. Christianity and Gender Different religions have different traditions regarding gender. For example, some Islamic women live with certain restrictions regarding clothing and social stature that their male counterparts do not have to follow, while in Jewish synagogues, the men and women pray in separate areas. In Christianity, apart from the predominance of male religious leaders over female ones, there are no such obvious divisions between men and women. Christian views regarding gender are conventionally taken from the Bible, wherein the assertion that God made a clear gender distinction is written in Genesis. It is said that man (Adam) was created in God’s likeness and that woman (Eve) was created from the man’s rib so as he would not be alone and for her to help him. Throughout Christian history, women have been considered as morally substandard to men and as seductresses, leading men to temptation (Brewer, 2001). As regards the interrelation of gender and religiosity, it has been found that gender is not determinative of a person becoming religious or not. As with other arenas of social existence, gender has become a voluntary aspect instead of a fixed limitation on human choice and identity (Sullins, 2006). Religious identity is no longer dictated by a person’s gender; women are no longer expected to be the more religious sex. On the contrary, gender identity may actually be turning into a choice guided by religion. Women in Christian History The role of women in Christianity has always been ignored, rejected and questioned, and men were usually given the leadership in the home, the church and in society (Harrison, 1985). In the early years of Christianity, women were not permitted to serve as priests or even talk inside places of worship. They had to struggle for footing within the patriarchal structure of the Church (Penner & Stichele, 2007). It is even mentioned in the Bible that women prophets were not allowed to address the congregation publicly (Weinrich, 1991). During the Middle Ages, the priesthood remained exclusive for men. This was supposedly because the priest represents Jesus Christ, a male, and because Christ himself chose only men to be his Apostles. Nevertheless, with the founding of monasticism, a few significant roles were presented to women. For the first time, women could opt out of marriage and family life, and become educated and have a more active role within the religious organization. Abbesses or Mother Superiors became vital characters, often presiding over monasteries of both women and men. Female religious figures were recognizable for the first time. In the latter part of the Middle Ages, women were able to participate in the scholarly aspect of the church, developing theories in theology and participating in discussions about doctrines. Female characters with theological importance have come to be known. The Virgin Mary, for example, is revered as Christ’s mother (‘The Sabbath A Bride: Sexuality and Christianity’, 1997). God’s gender (or lack thereof) has always been a controversial topic in Christianity. The predominant belief is that Jesus Christ the Son in the Trinity was born male, thus the other two in the Trinity would have to be male as well. This is the rationale behind the idea that only males could become priests or ministers. However, it may also be argued that if man was created in the likeness of God, then woman is similarly divine because she was made from the man’s image (Bray, 2000). Egalitarians, on the other hand, insist that God has no gender. Also, the words “Father” and “Son” which are used to refer to God and/or Jesus Christ must be taken as figures of speech used to express certain characteristics of God at a time and in a culture where men enjoyed social advantage (Jewett, 1980). Defining sexuality and gender roles has been one of religion’s functions. Also, the effectiveness of religion as an authority in the gender and sexuality issue has to do with nature and what is “natural” as pertaining to gender (i.e. what God intended). Things are then “gendered” through religious expression and this affects how men and women recognize themselves and one another. It also explains how they perceive sexuality. This gender awareness has in turn transformed religion by challenging the traditional beliefs and breaking the gender stereotypes and inhibitions on sexuality perpetuated by religion. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bray, G., L. 2000, ‘Image of God’, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England. Brewer, C. 2001, Holy Confrontation: Religion, Gender and Sexuality in the Philippines, 1521-1685, Institute of Women’s Studies, St. Scholastica’s College, Manila. Budziszewski, J. 2006, ‘What’s good about sex?’, Troubled With: A Web Site of Focus on the Family, Retrieved on 23 March 2008 from http://www.troubledwith.com/AbuseandAddiction/A000000781.cfm?topic=abuse+and+addiction%3A+pornography+and+cybersex. Cahill, L. S. 1996, Sex, Gender, and Christian Ethics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Encyclical Letter of Deus Caritas Est of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Men and Women Religious and All the Lay Faithful on Christian Love, 2005, Retrieved on 22 March 2008 from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html. Haffner, D. W. 1997, ‘The Really Good News: What the Bible Says About Sex’, SIECUS Report, October/ November 2007, SIECUS, New York. Harrison, B. W. 1985, Making the Connections: Essays in Feminist Social Ethics, Beacon Press, Boston, USA. Houck, D. 2004, ‘Sexuality: Gift or Curse?’, Pure Intimacy, Retrieved on 23 March 2008 from http://www.pureintimacy.org/gr/homosexuality/a0000073.cfm. Jewett, P. K. 1980, The Ordination of Women, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Michigan, USA. Kotb, H. G. 2004, Sexuality in Islam, Retrieved on 23 March 2008 from http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/kotb2.htm. Penner, T. & Stichele, V. 2007, ‘Canonized Bodies: Gender and the Formation of Early Christianity’, The Journal for the Study of Rhetorical Criticism of the New Testament, Retrieved on 22 March 2008 from http://rhetjournal.net/Penner-Stichele.pdf. Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S. & Fichner-Rathus, L. 2002, Human sexuality in a world of diversity (5th ed.), Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Boston. Sands, K. 2000, ‘Public, Pubic and Private: Religion in Political Discourse’ in God Forbid: Religion and Sex in American Public Life, ed. K. Sands, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Sullins, D. P. 2006, ‘Gender and Religiousness: Deconstructing Universality, Constructing Complexity’, American Journal of Sociology, November 2006, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 197-213, Chicago, USA. ‘The Sabbath A Bride: Sexuality and Christianity’ 1997, The Umilta Website, Retrieved on 22 March 2008 from http://www.umilta.net/sabbath.html. Torode, S. 2005, Sex and the Early Church, Retrieved on 22 March 2008 from http://www.torodedesign.com/NEW/article.html. Ullery, E. K. 2004, ‘Consideration of a spiritual role in sex and sex therapy’, The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 78-81, The Family Journal, California, USA. Vaggione, J. M. 2002, Paradoxing the secular in Latin America: Religion, gender and sexuality at the crossroads, Transregional Center for Democratic Studies, New York, USA. Vernon, M. 2000, ‘What Are Gay Men For?’, Theology and Sexuality, vol. 7 no. 13, pp. 63-76, SAGE Publications, London. Weinrich, W. 1991, ‘Women in the History of the Church’ in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, eds. J. Piper and W. Grudem, Crossway, Illinois, USA. Read More