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

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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