Category Archives: Living in Love and Faith

How not to be pastoral: the bishops’ new statement on civil partnerships

Posted on January 25, 2020 by fluff35

Once again, it’s all about sex. Whatever we mean by that. A recent article in The Independent headlined The sex-obsessed Church of England is digging its own grave included the comment that the Church is ‘intent not just on digging its own … Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith | Tagged civil partnership, House of Bishops, procreation, Sexual abuse, sexuality | 3 Comments

Fight the good fight(s): the ordination of women and the human sexuality debate

Posted on August 15, 2019 by fluff35

I was struck recently by how all the celebratory pieces I was reading about the 25th anniversary of women priests were written from the point of view of those women whose vocations to priesthood were doubted (for many centuries) but … Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged embodiment, equality, laity, menstruation, ordination, WATCH, women, women priests | 2 Comments

Intersex in history

Posted on May 26, 2019 by fluff35

The risk of saying anything about people with VSC is that, not being one of them, I may have no right to comment. But I’m a historian, and there’s a history here, and perhaps my role is to inform people of that. Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged Alice Domurat Dreger, binaries, chromosomes, clitoris, DSD, eunuch, gonads, hermaphrodite, hormones, intersex, John Money, penis, Philip, VSC | 2 Comments

The indecent Virgin

Posted on March 28, 2019 by fluff35

Systematic theology versus gigantic vulvas and a disruptive Virgin who is more than just her skirts Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith | Tagged Cherrie Moraga, classical reception, clitoris, Elisabeth Frink, Gustavus Adolphus, liberation theology, mandorla, Marcella Althaus-Reid, skirts, systematic theology, Virgin Mary, vulva, womb, Yolanda Lopez | 1 Comment

Challenging experience

Posted on January 9, 2019 by fluff35

Do I know how many buttons my coat has? Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged change, evidence | Leave a comment

Men as the Brides of Christ?

Posted on December 15, 2018 by fluff35

Queer theology and how men have read the Song of Songs, courtesy of Stephen Moore Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged allegory, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bible, body, breasts, Bride, Bridegroom, joy, Origen, pleasure, Queer Theology, Song of Songs, Stephen Moore, women | 2 Comments

Out in Africa?

Posted on December 9, 2018 by fluff35

No homosexuality in Africa? What’s that claim about and how can it help us see how history and anthropology are anything but neutral?
Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged Adriaan van Klinken, Africa, AIDS, anthropology, SOAS | 6 Comments

Seeing the tree in the woods

Posted on July 8, 2018 by fluff35

So, in the last month, that Episcopal Teaching Document, a.k.a. the ‘Teaching Document on human identity, sexuality and marriage’, has developed a name of its own. It’s now Living in Love and Faith: Christian teaching and learning about human sexuality and … Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged Church Times, General Synod, Godly Play, Living in Love and Faith, mustard seed, roots | 7 Comments

The Episcopal Teaching Document

Posted on November 22, 2017 by fluff35

Talking about sexuality in the Church of England… the next stage after Shared Conversations Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith, Shared Conversations | Tagged Bible, homosexuality, House of Bishops, Issues in Human Sexuality, Living in Love and Faith, Osborne Report, Pilling Report, women priests | 4 Comments