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Opening the Conversation on March
11-13, 1997
The conference seeks to bring into dialogue people
involved with drafting policy statements concerning gender and sexuality
for their communities of faith or who are actively pursuing these
issues through education or advocacy. The program includes plenary
addresses by five nationally known scholars and round-table discussions
by representatives from eighteen Jewish and Christian traditions
on biblical authority, pastoral care, worship, and ethics.
All events are open to the public.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
PARTICIPANTS IN ROUND TABLES
QUESTIONS DISCUSSED
Biblical Authority
Ethics
Pastoral Care
Worship
Opening the Dialogue
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Tuesday, March 11, 1997
7:30 p.m. Plenary addresses, Benton Chapel
"Breaking Boundaries and Setting Limits"
Lisa Sowle Cahill, J. Donald Monan, S.J. Professor, Boston College
"Hurts So Good': Atonement Theory and Erotic
Violence"
Mark McClain-Taylor, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture,
Princeton Theological Seminary
A reception will follow the plenary addresses in
the Tillett Lounge, Vanderbilt Divinity School.
Wednesday, March 12, 1997
7:30 a.m. Community Breakfast, Refectory, Vanderbilt Divinity School
"Heterosexism, Civil Rights, and Liberation"
Joretta L. Marshall, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling,
Illif School of Theology
$6.25 charge for breakfast, payable at the door. Reservations required
by March 10; please call the Divinity School at 615-322-4205.
10:00 a.m. Worship, All-Faith Chapel, Vanderbilt Divinity School
11:15 a.m. -- 1:15 p.m. Round-table: Biblical Authority, Sarratt
Cinema
Moderator: Lloyd Lewis, Assistant Dean for Student Life and Assistant
Professor for the Practice of Ministry, Vanderbilt Divinity School
2:30 p.m.-- 4:30 p.m. Round-table: Pastoral Care, Sarratt Cinema
Moderator: Professor Bonnie Miller-McLemore, Associate Professor
of Pastoral Thelogy and Counseling, Vanderbilt Divinity School
Thursday, March 13, 1997
11:15 a.m. -- 1:15 p.m. Round-table: Worship, Sarratt Cinema
Moderator: Gay Welch, Chaplain, Vanderbilt University and Assistant
Professor of Religious Studies
2:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m. Round-table: Ethics, Sarratt Cinema
Moderator: Victor Anderson, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics,
Vanderbilt Divinity School
7:30 p.m. Plenary addresses, Benton Chapel
"Biblical Ethics: The Difference Gender Makes"
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Professor of English and Women's Studies,
William Paterson College
"Gender and Sex in the Bible: Just Views, or a Vision?"
Victor Paul Furnish, University Distinguished Professor of New Testament,
Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
The plenary addresses will be followed by a reception in the Tillet
Lounge, Vanderbilt Divinity School.
PARTICIPANTS IN ROUND TABLES
- Karen Bloomquist, Director for Studies, Division for Church
in Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Wilbur W. Brannon, Director, Pastoral Ministries, Church Growth
Division, Church of the Nazarene
H. Hartford Brookins, Bishop, 13th Episcopal District, African
Methodist Episcopal Church
John J. Carey, Wallace M. Alston Professor of Religious Studies,
Agnes Scott College (Presbyterian Church U.S.A.)
- Joyce Coalson, Vice President, Homeland Ministries, Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ)
Elliott N. Dorff, Rector and Professor of Philosophy, University
of Judaism, Los Angeles (Conservative Judaism)
- Daniel Doriani, Dean of Faculty, Covenant Theological Seminary
(Presbyterian Church of America)
- Mark R. Fuller, Theological Consultant, Roman Catholic Diocese
of Nashville
- Jane Garrett, Co-Chair, Committee for Dialogue on Human Sexuality,
Episcopal Church
- Peggy Halsey, Executive Secretary, Ministries with Women, Children
and Families, Community Ministries, United Methodist Church
- Oliver Haney, Dean, Charles Harrison Mason Theological Seminary
(Church of God in Christ)
- Randy Harris, Professor of Bible, David Lipscomb University
(Churches of Christ)
- Faith Adams Johnson, Minister for Family Life and Human Sexuality,
Division of American Missionary Association, United Church of
Christ
- William Johnson, Minister for HIV/AIDS Ministries and Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Genderal Minority Concerns, United Church Board
for Homeland Ministries, United Church of Christ
- Peter Knobel, Chair, Liturgy Committee of the Central Conference
of American Rabbis and Member, Central Conference of American
Rabbis on Human Sexuality (Reform Judaism)
- Keith Kron, Director, Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender
Concerns, Unitarian Universalist Association
- Brid Long, Assistant Professor of Theology, School of Theology,
Catholic University of America
- Robert Parham, Executive Director, Baptist Center for Ethics
(Southern Baptist)
- Ronald Roth, West End Synagogue, Nashville (Conservative Judaism)
- Mona West, Academic Dean, Samaritan Institute for Religious
Studies, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
- Melvin Worthington, Executive Secretary, National Association
of Free Will Baptists
QUESTIONS FOR ROUND-TABLE
SESSIONS
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1997
ETHICS
- Evaluating Gender/Sex Roles in Family Life:
To some people, questions about the changing conceptions of traditional
gender/sex roles are seen as part of a broader movement toward
the greater expansion of democracy and egalitarianism, while others
worry that the redefining of gender/sex roles indicates a breakdown
in traditional family values, with dire moral consequences for
American family life. How do you evaluate the increasing numbers
of women participating in wage/salary labor markets while increasing
numbers of men are establishing themselves as homemakers and child-care
providers? Do you see these kinds of shifts in gender/sex roles
as morally valuable models of family life?
- Teenage Pregnancy:
What do you understand to be the social or moral problems leading
to the increase of teenage pregnancy? What moral and/or pastoral
advice would you offer teens considering sexual activity or who
are sexually active?
- Homosexuality:
Traditional religious resources and institutions in the West have
regarded homosexuality in the languages of perversion, abomination,
sin against nature, and nature’s Deity. However, to some,
the increasing visibility of gays and lesbians in mainline American
religious communities makes such judgments morally problematic,
if not obsolete and irrelevant. How would you morally evaluate
the social teachings of your religious community on homosexuality?
- Homosexual Unions:
What moral and/or pastoral advice would you offer a couple considering
same-sex marriage? How are your religious commitments likely to
influence how you evaluate state sanctioning of same-sex unions?
QUESTIONS FOR ROUND-TABLE
SESSIONS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1997
Pastoral Care
- What do you see as the most critical pastoral care issue in
the area of gender, sexuality, and religion (e.g., changing sex
and gender roles in family life, marital crises and divorce, new
reproductive technologies, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, homosexual
unions, sexism, sexual abuse, sexual harassment) and why? Please
be as specific as possible.
- What is your faith tradition/congregation/denomination’s
distinctive approach to pastoral care on this issue (in question
#1) or in the area of gender, sexuality, and religion more broadly
speaking?
- What are the areas of critical differences and crucial agreement
with those of different faith perspectives on this issue or in
the general area of gender, sexuality, and religion?
- Do you or your faith tradition have any innovative or distinctive
pastoral care approaches, ideas, or resources for responding to
the needs and/or struggles of members of your community in the
area of gender and sexuality?
QUESTIONS FOR ROUND-TABLE
SESSIONS
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1997
WORSHIP
- In terms of gender, how is the Deity referred to/addressed in
your tradition, and what is the source of authority for this practice?
- In direct address, biblical readings, liturgies, hymnals, songs,
sermons, etc., how is the congregation addressed (e.g., brothers
and sisters; children; men of faith; members of the congregations,
their wives, and their children; servants; soldiers)?
- Are leadership roles in your tradition divided along gender
lines? If so, why? If not, was the matter ever a source of controversy?
- Are there limitations or privileges based on gender roles or
sexual identity on ordination or participation or in any part
of your tradition? If so, what are they, why are they in place,
and are they ever questions for members of your community? If
not, were these matters ever areas of controversy, and how did
you resolve them?
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