Unpacking the revolution in attitudes toward sex and sexuality that transformed Western understanding, the hosts discuss the impact of Christianity on concepts like free will, consent, and human dignity, explore the transformation of sexual morality in ancient Rome, and delve into the significance of discussing sex in evangelism and apologetics.
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Quick takeaways
The first sexual revolution before Christianity challenged social systems, emphasized consent, and recognized the dignity of individuals.
Christianity reshaped understanding of sex and sexuality, prioritizing moral nature, consent, and dignity over prevailing philosophical systems.
Deep dives
The Transformation of Sexual Morality
The speaker discusses the transformation of sexual morality from a pre-Christian to a Christian culture. They highlight that sexual morality is one of the domains where the shift is the most radical. The speaker emphasizes that pre-Christian sexual culture was not just about eroticism and fun, as popular belief may suggest. They explain that the perception of sexual life and morality in the first century is influenced by factors like social status, honor, and different rules depending on one's place in the social order. Christianity's influence brought significant changes by challenging social systems of exploitation, emphasizing consent, and recognizing the dignity of individuals.
The Impact of Christianity on Sexual Ethics
The speaker explores how Christianity reshaped the understanding of sex and sexuality in ancient Rome. They discuss the emergence of Christian thinkers who prioritized concepts of moral nature and the freedom to choose, which clashed with prevailing philosophical systems. The speaker highlights that Christian sexual ethics became more prominent than in other philosophical systems, and that concepts like consent and dignity gained importance. They point out that Christianity's influence shifted the understanding of sexual norms and challenged practices like concubinage, leading to changes in societal structures and legal actions against exploitation.
The Role of Consent and Dignity in Christian Sexual Ethics
The speaker delves into the value of consent and dignity in Christian sexual ethics. They discuss how the Christian revolution emphasized consent as a fundamental concept, highlighting that all people have freedom of choice when it comes to sexual actions. They emphasize the Christian belief in the dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of their social status. The speaker explains that consent and dignity were central components of the Christian sexual revolution, challenging the social norms and structures of the ancient Roman world.
The Tension Between Eros and Agape in Christian Sexual Ethics
The speaker examines the tension between Eros and Agape in Christian sexual ethics. They highlight that early Christianity had a more ascetic and restrained approach to Eros, focusing more on sacrificial love (Agape). The speaker discusses how later cultural developments have aimed to restore a celebration of Eros and individual expression, moving away from the ascetic tendencies of early Christianity. They also touch on the impact of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the challenges it posed to the Christian vision of sex, with a renewed emphasis on Eros and individual freedom.
Nearly a millennium before the swinging ’60s, a revolution in attitudes toward sex and sexuality transformed how we consider marriage, family, the sexes, equality, consent, and even concepts like free will and human dignity.
In this episode of Post-Christianity?, Andrew Wilson and Glen Scrivener interview Kyle Harper, a University of Oklahoma historian of the classical and author of From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity. Harper unpacks that first revolution, how it shaped the traditional Western understanding of sex, and how it has been challenged and in some ways rejected in the past 60 years.
Credits:
Post-Christianity? is a podcast from The Gospel Coalition and The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Learn more about The Keller Center here.
The Good Book Company is the publisher of The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener. For 25% off books on Christianity and culture, go to thegoodbook.com/postpodcast.
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