CHRTC 351 – Section B1/B2 - St. Joseph's College - University of ...

CHRTC 393 – SECTION B1
The Human Sexual Body: Theological Perspectives
Course Outline – Winter 2012
Doris M. Kieser
Instructor:
Doris M. Kieser, PhD
Phone: (780) 492-7681, ext. 240
Email:
dkieser@ualberta.ca
Office: #013, St. Joseph‟s College (Downstairs – Central staircase)
Office Hours: Wednesday, 11:00 – 12:00; Or By Appointment
General Course Description (Calendar):
Objectives:
The sexual body: desire, pain, pleasure, suffering, ecstasy; universal, particular, sacred, profane. This
course will consider a variety of historical and contemporary perspectives on the sexual body in Christian
thought. Topics might include views of notable thinkers in Christian history, Pope John Paul II‟s “Theology
of the Body”, theologies of the erotic, and feminist body theologies. We might also consider the influences
of other disciplines on theological constructions of human sexual bodies.
To introduce theological and other theoretical perspectives on the human body.
To explore practical implications of body theories.
To engage varied portrayals of the human sexual body in contemporary culture.
To draw from a multitude of sources, including human experience, revelation, Christian Tradition, Catholic
teaching and theological discussion, and other disciplines.
Text:
CHRTC 393 Readings – On Reserve, St. Joseph‟s College Library
Course Requirements:
Class preparation and participation – 20%
Essay Assignment #1 – 35%
Essay Assignment #2 – 45% (40% for the written work; 5% for in-class presentation)
Grading:
Assignments will be marked in percentages. The final letter grade will be assigned at the end of the course once
all the marks are tallied. Students will be graded following the University of Alberta‟s Letter grading system as
follows:
A+, A, A- Excellent
B+, B, B- Good
C+, C, C- Satisfactory
D+ Poor
D
Minimum Pass
F
Failure
Under this system, marking and grading are done separately. Grading involves a ranking in order of merit based
on raw scores, and assessment of the class as a whole, and the qualitative descriptions of the various grades.
Grading is in the first instance a judgement of the instructor based upon the student‟s total performance and
includes consideration not only of marks earned for term work and final examination, but also of meaningful class
participation, completion of assignments, improving or deteriorating performance, a comparison of the class as a
whole with other classes, etc.
Plagiarism and Cheating:

University of Alberta Calendar (Appendix „A”, Code of Student Behaviour; online:
www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=37633 ):
Section 30.3.2 – Inappropriate Academic Behaviour:
Section 30.3.2 (1) Plagiarism:
No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student‟s own in any academic
writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.
Section 30.3.2(2) Cheating:
(a) No Student shall in the course of an examination or other similar activity, obtain or attempt to obtain information from
another Student or other unauthorized source, give or attempt to give information to another Student, or use, attempt
to use or possess for the purposes of use any unauthorized material.
(b) No Student shall represent or attempt to represent him or herself as another or have or attempt to have himself or
herself represented by another in the taking of an examination, preparation of a paper or other similar activity. See
also misrepresentation in 30.3.6(4).
(c) No Student shall represent another‟s substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the
Student‟s own work.
(d) No Student shall submit in any course or program of study, without the written approval of the course Instructor, all or
a substantial portion of any academic writing, essay, thesis, research report, project, assignment, presentation or
poster for which credit has previously been obtained by the Student or which has been or is being submitted by the
Student in another course or program of study in the University or elsewhere.
(e) No Student shall submit in any course or program of study any academic writing, essay, thesis, report, project,
assignment, presentation or poster containing a statement of fact known by the Student to be false or a reference to a
source the Student knows to contain fabricated claims (unless acknowledged by the Student), or a fabricated
reference to a source.
Section 30.3.2 (3) Misuse of Confidential Materials:
No student shall procure, distribute, or receive any confidential academic material such as pending examinations,
laboratory results, or the content thereof from any source without prior and express consent of the Instructor.
Required Notes:
Policy about course outlines can be found in 23.4(2) of the University Calendar (GFC 29 SEP 2003).
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are
expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University
in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student
Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result
in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic
dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University (GFC 29 SEP 2003).
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Course Outline:
I. Introduction:
An overview of some questions in contemporary discourse about the human sexual body, including
attention to Scripture, theology, Church teaching, and human experiences.
II. Human Sexual Body:
An exploration of issues and questions related to the body in Scripture, the Incarnation, the Christian
medieval, mystical understandings of the body, and Pope John Paul II‟s “Theology of the Body” (both
sympathetic and critical views).
III. The Body in Context:
A consideration of the varied manifestations of the human body in lived experience, for example, male
and female bodies, challenged bodies, the body in bioethics, and bodies in a consumer society.
Resources:
St. Joseph‟s College Library – downstairs in the College, accessible from the east entrance to the building
(facing the Education building). NEOS library system.
Course Requirements:
1. Assignment # 1 - Essay:

35% - Tuesday, February 28 by the end of class. Late papers will be docked 5% per day late.
No papers will be accepted after Tuesday, March 6. Your essay will integrate theological/ethical
reflection on course materials with a discussion of one of the possible essay topics. Your essay
must address one of the four possible assignments.
See list of assignments from which to choose.
All assignment materials are on Reserve in St. Joseph’s College Library.
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2. Assignment #2 - Research Essay:
45% - Thursday, April 12 (last class) by the end of class. Late papers will be docked 5% per
day late. No papers will be accepted after Thursday, April 19.
Your essay will address a topic of your choosing related to the course. Information to follow.
3. Class Participation:
20% - This requirement is based upon class attendance, significant and relevant contributions
(including one-minute feedback at the start of each class), familiarity with readings, and general
performance in class. This mark is assigned at my own discretion.
Note: If you have any questions, queries, or problems related to the course, I am happy to meet with you either
during my office hours, or at another time mutually convenient to us.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
CHRTC 393, B1 – Winter 2012
Reading Assignments
WEEK 1 (January 10, 12) - Introduction:
Moltmann-Wendel, Elizabeth. (1995). I Am My Body: A Theology of Embodiment. John Bowden (trans.).
New York: Continuum; 103-105. (108pp.; ISBN: 0-8264-0786-2)
Genesis 2-3. (2009). Bible, New Revised Standard Version. Bible Study Tools. Available at:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/.
Clifford, Richard J. & Murphy, Roland E. (1990). Genesis. In Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, &
Roland E. Murphy (Eds.), The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp. 8-13. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall. (1484pp.; ISBN: 0-13-614934-0)
WEEK 2 (January 17, 19) – Sexual and Sexed Bodies:
John Paul II, Pope. (1993). Veritatis Splendor. Nn. 17-18; 43-50. Catholic Document Archive. Available at:
http://www.catholic-pages.com/ documents/
Paulsell, Stephanie. (2003). Honoring the Body: Meditations on a Christian Practice. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass; 139-163, 186-187. (197pp.; ISBN: 0-7879-6757-2)
Farley, Margaret A. (2006). Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics. New York, NY:
Continuum; 133-158. (322pp.; ISBN: 0-8264-1001-4)
WEEK 3 (January 24, 26) – Biblical Bodies: The Song of Songs:
Song of Songs. (2009). Bible, New Revised Standard Version. Rosetta. Available at:
http://www.reltech.org/ECanon/search.php?qry=song+of+solomon&vrs=NRSV.

Murphy, Roland E. (1990). Canticle of Canticles. In Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, & Roland
E. Murphy (Eds.), The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp. 462-465. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall. (1484pp.; ISBN: 0-13-614934-0)
Trible, Phyllis. (1978). God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality. Philadelphia: Fortress Press; 144-165.
(206pp.; ISBN: 0-8006-0464-4)
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WEEK 4 (January 31, February 2) – Incarnation:
Schneiders, Sandra M. (1986). Women and the Word: The Gender of God in the New Testament and the
Spirituality of Women. New York, NY: Paulist Press; 50-71, 79-80. (81pp.; ISBN: 0-8091-2802-
0)
Ross, Susan A. (2004). Can God Be a Bride? America. November 1, 2004. Available at:
http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=3838.
Jordan, Mark D. (2007). God‟s Body. In Gerard Loughlin (Ed.), Queer Theology: Rethinking the Western
Body, pp. 281-292. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. (351pp.; ISBN: 978-0-631-21608-7)
WEEK 5 (February 7, 9) – Mystical Medieval Bodies:
Julian of Norwich. (1974). The Revelations of Divine Love. James Walsh (trans.). St. Meinrad, IN: Abbey
Press; 156-160. (210pp.; ISBN: N/A)
Hildegard of Bingen. (1994). Holistic Healing. Manfred Pawlik, Patrick Madigan, & John Kulas (trans.).
Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press; 54-71, 121-123. (223pp.; ISBN: 0-8146-2224-0)
Bynum, Caroline. (1995). Why All the Fuss about the Body? A Medievalist‟s Perspective. Critical Inquiry
22 (Autumn 1995), 1-33. (ISSN: 0093-1896)
WEEK 6 (February 14, 16) – Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body, Sympathetic:
John Paul II, Pope. (1997). The Theology of the Body: Human Love in the Divine Plan. Boston, MA:
Daughters of St. Paul, 54-66, 97-98. (ISBN: 0-8198-7394-2)
Shivanandan, Mary. (2001). John Paul II‟s Theology of the Body. The Living Light 37 (3), 67-74. (ISSN:
0024-5275)
Miller, Paula Jean. (2001). The Theology of the Body: A New Look at Humanae Vitae. Theology Today 57
(4), 501-508. (ISSN: 0040-5736)
WEEK 7 (February 20-24) – Reading Week – No Classes
WEEK 8 (February 28, March 1) – Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body, Critical:
* Tuesday, February 28 – First Paper Due *
Johnson, Luke Timothy. (2007). A Disembodied “Theology of the Body”: John Paul II on Love, Sex, and
Pleasure. In Kieran Scott & Harold Daly Horell (Eds.), Human Sexuality in the Catholic Tradition,
pp. 111-122. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. (233pp.; ISBN: 978-0-7425-5241-8)
Cloutier, David. (2006). Heaven Is a Place on Earth? Analyzing the Popularity of Pope John Paul II‟s
Theology of the Body. In Lisa Sowle Cahill, John Garvey, & T. Frank Kennedy (Eds.), Sexuality
and the U.S. Catholic Church: Crisis and Renewal, pp. 18-31, 200-203. New York, NY: Crossroad
Publishing. (233pp.; ISBN: 978-0-8245-2408-1)
WEEK 9 (March 6, 8) – Female Bodies:
Jung, Patricia Beattie. (2000). Sexual Pleasure: A Roman Catholic Perspective on Women‟s Delight.
Theology and Sexuality 12, 26-47. (ISSN: 1355-8358)

Bynum, Caroline Walker. (1987). Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to
Medieval Women. Los Angeles, CA: University of California; 260-276, 406-413. (444pp.; ISBN:
0-520-06329-5)
WEEK 10 (March 13, 15) – Male Bodies:
Nelson, James B. (1992). Body Theology. Louisville, KN: Westminster/John Knox Press; 93-104, 201-
202. (216pp.; ISBN: 0-664-25379-2)
Krondorfer, Bjorn. (1996). The Confines of Male Confessions: On Religion, Bodies, and Mirrors. In Bjorn
Krondorfer (Ed.), Men’s Bodies, Men’s Gods: Male Identities in a (Post-)Christian Culture, pp.
205-234. New York, NY: New York University Press. (324pp.; ISBN: 0-8147-4669-1)
WEEK 11 (March 20, 22) – Challenged Bodies:
Carmody, John T. & Carmody, Denise L. (1995). The Body Suffering: Illness and Disability. In Lisa Sowle
Cahill & Margaret A. Farley (Eds.), Embodiment, Morality, and Medicine, pp. 185-197. Dordrecht,
NL: Kluwer Academic Publishers. (223pp.; ISBN: 0-7923-3342-X)
Reynolds, Thomas E. (2008). Vulnerable Communion: A Theology of Disability & Hospitality. Grand
Rapids, MI: BrazosPress; 102 – 135. (256pp.; ISBN: 978-1-58743-177-7)
WEEK 12 (March 27, 29) – Bodies and Bioethics:
Campbell, Alastair V. (2009). The Body in Bioethics. New York, NY: Routledge-Cavendish; 1-10, 127; 75-
93, 129. (150pp.; ISBN: 978-1-84472-056-9)
Weaver, Darlene Fozard. (2007). Embryo Adoption Theologically Considered: Bodies, Adoption, and the
Common Good. In Sarah-Vaughn Brakman & Darlene Fozard Weaver (Eds.), The Ethics of
Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition: Moral Arguments, Economic Reality and Social
Analysis, pp. 141-159. Springer. (326pp.; ISBN: 978-1-4020-6210-0)
WEEK 13 (April 3, 5) – Consuming Bodies:
Featherston, Mike. (2001). The Body in Consumer Culture. In Jessica R. Johnston (Ed.), The American
Body in Context: An Anthology, pp. 79-103. Wilmington, DL: Scholarly Resources Inc. (335pp.;
ISBN: 0-8420-2858-7)
Cook, Daniel Thomas & Kaiser, Susan B. (2004). Betwixt and Be Tween: Age Ambiguity and the
Sexualization of the Female Consuming Subject. (2004). Journal of Consumer Culture 4 (2), 203-
227. (ISSN: 1469-5405)
WEEK 14 (April 10, 12) – Show and Tell – Last Week of Class
In this class you will each give a short presentation pertaining to your final essay topic. Your presentation
can take any format you wish but it must not exceed 10 minutes. Your presentation will be
considered in your mark on the paper.
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Essay Assignment #1 - CHRTC 393
The Human Sexual Body: Theological Perspectives
Doris M. Kieser
Your essay will integrate theological reflection on themes/topics covered in the course with an analysis of one
of the assignments on the list provided. The focus of your essay is to be the topic/themes relevant to the
course, not simply a summary and critique of the film/work.
Choose the most relevant themes apparent in your chosen work. The themes suggested on the assignment
list are only to facilitate your choice of topics.
Your essay will be 8-10 pages in length. You will write in an acceptable academic format. Your essay will be
typed (12 point font) and double-spaced with standard margins. The following qualities should be
demonstrated in your essay:
o Ability to identify significant issues;
o Depth of discussion of the topic and themes of your chosen assignment;
o Scholarly integrity and fair representation of the sources;
o Organization, clarity, and readability;
o Correct grammar and inclusive language.
Recommendation:
o Do not leave your writing to the last minute.
Choose ONE of the following assignments for your first essay:
1. Nurturing and Feeding the Body
Watch:
Read:
o
o
o
Babette’s Feast (1987, Gabriel Axel, Dir.) – Winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign
Film, Babette’s Feast is a lovely look at the transformative power of food, eating, community,
and sensory delight. Possible themes include: the role of the body in redemption, the
significance of sharing a meal in community (e.g., Eucharist).
Dinesen, Isak (1958). Babette‟s Feast. In Anecdotes of Destiny. London, UK: Michael
Joseph; 27-65.
Hansen, Ron (2001). Babette‟s Feast. In A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and
Fiction. New York: HarperCollins; 143-162.
Bynum, Carolyn Walker (1987). The Meaning of Food: Food as Physicality. In Holy Feast and
Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women. Berkeley, CA: University
of California Press; 245-259, 401-406.
2. Sized Bodies
Watch:
o
Lovely and Amazing (2001, Nicole Holofcener, Dir.) – Self-esteem, size, and bodies are
at the centre of this depiction of a 4-female family. Their individual insecurities are made

Read:
o
o
apparent in each of their responses to their physical bodies. Possible themes include:
size and salvation, body-soul connection in body manipulation.
Isherwood, Lisa (2007). The Gate is Narrow: Creating Theological Body Boundaries. In
The Fat Jesus: Feminist Explorations in Boundaries and Transgressions. London, UK:
Darton, Longman and Todd; 37-64, 149-150.
Lelwica, Michelle Mary (1999). The Good, the True, and the Beautiful Female Body:
Popular Icons of Womanhood and the Salvation Myth of Female Slenderness. In Starving
for Salvation: The Spiritual Dimensions of Eating Problems Among American Girls and
Women. New York: Oxford University Press; 39-65, 165-175.
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3. Sensing/Feeling Bodies
Watch:
o
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher, Dir.) – An exploration of the senses from a violent,
hyper-masculinized perspective that asks, what is it to be male? What is it to feel? The
central characters in this film represent varying degrees of mind-body connection and
ability (or inability) to connect their bodies/senses with their selves. Possible themes:
integration of self, masculine identities, the role of the body in maleness.
Read:
o Nelson, James B. (1994). Embracing Masculinity. In James B. Nelson and Sandra P.
Longfellow (Eds.), Sexuality and the Sacred: Sources for Theological Reflection, pp. 195-
215. Louisville, KN: Westminster/John Knox Press.
4. Enigmatic, Holy Bodies
Read:
o
o
Read:
o
o
Buchbinder, David (2004). Object or Ground? The Male Body as Fashion Accessory.
Canadian Review of American Studies 34 (3), 221-231.
Hansen, Ron (1991). Mariette in Ecstasy: A Novel. New York: HarperCollins. Faithful
passion and passionate faith are Mariette‟s impetus for entering the convent in 1906. This
is a fictional account of a bodily manifestation of great faith in pious, sensual, desiring
devotion and, ultimately, painful stigmata. Possible themes include: relationship between
sensuality and spirituality, the body in devotion, the spiritual meaning of pain in
relationship with Christ.
Hansen, Ron (2001). Stigmata. In A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and
Fiction. New York: HarperCollins; 177-191.
Arnell, Carla A. (2007). Wild Writing: Holy Stigmata and the Aesthetics of “Sacred Pain”
in Ron Hansen‟s Mariette in Ecstasy. Christianity and Literature 57 (2, Winter), 181-206.
CHRTC 393 – The Human Sexual Body
Essay Writing Tips and Guidelines
Doris M. Kieser
1. Do not plagiarize:
a. Use quotation marks and give references for all of your sources.
2. Choose an acceptable academic format/style consistently throughout your paper. Common styles that
have reference guides in every reference section of every library on campus, and online at the U of A
libraries website:
a. APA – a common style for science, nursing, etc.;
b. MLA – a common style in the social sciences;
c. Turabian, Chicago – common styles in the humanities and liberal arts.
3. Hand in a clean, original copy of your paper.

4. Use page numbers.
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5. Include a title page.
6. Do not use contractions.
7. Remember this is an Academic paper:
a. Personal reflection does not make this simply an opinion piece;
b. Librarians are your friends. They will help you to find appropriate materials, when necessary.
8. Acknowledge yourself, particularly in your personal reflection:
a. Acceptable to use “I” statements;
b. Acceptable to include personal anecdotes and thoughts.
9. Be clear and concise. Ways to do this include:
a. Provide a thesis statement and overview of your paper in your introduction;
b. Break your ideas into digestible chunks, i.e., short paragraphs are easier to read than long ones;
c. Use subtitles to facilitate comprehension;
d. Proof read for errors;
e. Use words, phrases and terminology that you understand and that are comprehensible to the
reader;
f. Use a dictionary. Do not use a thesaurus without a dictionary;
g. Use a writer‟s guide (I like Strunk and White‟s The Elements of Style, Oxford‟s Canadian A-Z of
Grammar, Spelling, & Punctuation, and Oxford‟s Concise Canadian Writer’s Handbook).
10. In cases of extreme frustration, confusion, or downright “I do not know what I am doing”, consult your
professor, a librarian, or some other smart person who might give you a bit of direction.
CHRTC 393 – The Human Sexual Body
Doris M. Kieser
Research Essay Marking Guide – Essay #1
1) Content: Appropriate use of assigned materials; present relevant and up-to-date information accurately,
fairly, and with scholarly integrity (including references); demonstrate comprehension of topic and
resources; appropriate essay length; film accurately summarized and represented; engage resources
appropriately; address themes appropriate to film/work chosen; well organized.
_________________/50
2) Writing Skill: Clear, balanced, flows well, interesting, consistent style; proper spelling, grammar,
punctuation; inclusive language; consistent format, bibliography/reference page, proper referencing,
appropriate length.
_________________/30

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3) Personal Insights/Reflection: Relevant to topic and materials; depth of thought; reach sound
conclusions with coherent reasoning; present a reflection on the project‟s personal and
theological/spiritual impact; demonstrate good analysis, understanding, and application of the material.
Please note: use “I” statements in your reflection; this is about why you have chosen this particular topic
and how it affects you.
_________________/20
Total Mark:
______________/100