Sex, Gender, and Christian EthicsThis book endorses feminist critiques of gender, yet upholds the insight of traditional Christianity that sex, commitment and parenthood are fulfilling human relations. Their unity is a positive ideal, though not an absolute norm. Women and men should enjoy equal personal respect and social power. In reply to feminist critics of oppressive gender and sex norms and to communitarian proponents of Christian morality, Cahill argues that effective intercultural criticism of injustice requires a modest defence of moral objectivity. She thus adopts a critical realism as its moral foundation, drawing on Aristotle and Aquinas. Moral judgment should be based on reasonable, practical, prudent and cross-culturally nuanced reflection on human experience. This is combined with a New Testament model of community, centred on solidarity, compassion and inclusion of the economically or socially marginalised. |
Contents
Sex gender and the problem of moral argument | 1 |
Feminism and foundations | 14 |
Particular experiences shared goods | 46 |
The body in context | 73 |
An interlude and a proposal | 108 |
Sex gender and early Christianity | 121 |
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acts adoption Aquinas authority behavior biblical biological birth bodily body Catholic celibacy century child choice Christian Christian ethics church commitment conception concern context couples critical cultural defined domination early economic effects embodied equality especially essential ethics example experience fact female feminist forms freedom function gender give given ground historical homosexuality human ideal identity important individual institutions interpretation issue Jesus John liberal live London male marriage meaning moral mother mutual natural needs norms objectivity one's originally parenthood parents Paul perspective physical pleasure political possible postmodern practical present procreation question reality reason recognize reflect relation relationships religious represented reproductive require respect responsibility roles Roman sex and gender sexual shared social society specific status structure Studies teaching Testament theology theory tion tradition University Press values virtue Western woman women York