Sex and seminarians: Are clergy prepared for debates on sexuality?

Posted on September 1st, 2009

Archived in Clergy, Current edition, Doctrine & practice, Homosexuality, Marriage & family, Writing

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It’s a new academic year and a new crop of seminarians — indeed, this year’s incoming class may be larger than most, as the recession appears to have sent many people back to school. But will they be trained to deal with the hot-button topics of sexuality that roil American denominations in good times and bad?

In January, the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing and Union Theological Seminary in New York published the findings of a study titled “Sex and the Seminary: Preparing Ministers for Sexual Health and Justice.” The 52-page study examined the readiness of seminarians and future pastors to deal with sexuality issues on the job – and found them sorely unprepared.

The survey examined 36 schools, predominantly in the mainline Protestant or interdenominational and nondenominational traditions. Four rabbinical schools and one Catholic institution were also among the 36.

The study found that the majority of U.S. seminaries do a poor to middling job of preparing students for dealing with human sexuality, gender, sexual identity and other sexual-related issues from religious and theological perspectives.

The survey revealed that:

  • More than 90 percent of the surveyed seminaries do not require full-semester, sexuality-based courses for graduation.
  • Two-thirds do not offer a course in sexuality issues for religious professionals. Three-quarters do not offer a course in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) studies.
  • Seminaries offer three times as many courses in women’s and feminist studies as they do in LGBT studies or other sexuality-related issues.
  • The next generation of scholars is not addressing sexuality issues.

The report commended several institutions for their sexuality training but called on other seminaries to beef up their sexuality courses and other training.

WHY IT MATTERS

The study concludes that at a time when religious denominations are embroiled in numerous conflicts over sexuality (homosexuality, marriage, abortion, etc.), the next generations of pastors and other religious professionals will remain unprepared to deal with these issues.

SCHOOLS COMMENDED IN THE REPORT

ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS WITH SEXUALITY-RELATED CENTERS LISTED IN THE REPORT

OTHER RESOURCES ON SEXUALITY AND RELIGION

  • The Center for Sexuality and Religion was organized to assist religious institutions and groups in providing healthy and responsible sexuality education in the context of religious and theological study. It is based in Wayne, Pa. William R. Stayton is executive director. Contact 610-995-0341.
  • The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is based in Lousiville, Ky., and defines itself as an evangelical Christian organization formed in response to the perceived threat of feminism. Its mission statement reads, in part, “men and women are equal in the image of God, but maintain complementary differences in role and function. In the home, men lovingly are to lead their wives and family as women intelligently are to submit to the leadership of their husbands. In the church, while men and women share equally in the blessings of salvation, some governing and teaching roles are restricted to men.” Contact 502-897-4065.
  • Faith Trust Institute works to educate different types of faith communities about domestic and sexual violence. Marie Fortune is its founder and senior analyst. Contact 206-634-1903 ext. 24, mfortune@faithtrustinstitute.org.
  • The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice describes itself as as the voice of mainstream views of people of faith working to counter religiously based anti-choice arguments. Carlton Veazey is president. Contact 202-628-7700.
  • The Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics is an international, multifaith network of progressive feminist religious scholars and leaders. It relates religion to the issues of population, consumption/ecology, reproductive health and the empowerment of women. It is based in Milwaukee. Daniel Maguire is president and is a professor of theological ethics at Marquette University. Contact 414-288-5508, daniel.maguire@marquette.edu.
  • The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing advocates for sexual health, education and justice within and among religious communities. Debra W. Haffner, a Unitarian Universalist minister, is director. Contact via Tim Palmer, 914-438-4127 (cell), 203-222-0055 (office), palmer@religiousinstitute.org.

National sources

Regional sources
Northwest Northeast Northwest West Southwest Midwest South Southeast East



  • Daniel O. Aleshire is executive director of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, the main accrediting agency for North American seminaries. Contact 412-788-6505 ext. 227, ats@ats.edu.
  • Ellen T. Armour is director of the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender and Sexuality at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. She can comment on the issues the study raises and their importance for theological education and clergy practice. Contact 615-322-2776, ellen.t.armour@vanderbilt.edu.
  • Dorothy Bass is director of the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind. She is an expert on theological education. Contact 219-464-5034, dorothy.bass@valpo.edu.
  • Ann Braude is director of the Women’s Studies in Religion Program at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. She teaches a course titled “Religion, Gender and Politics: A Transnational Perspective.” Contact via assistant Elizabeth Sutton, 617-495-5705, esutton@hds.harvard.edu.
  • Wendy Cadge is an assistant professor of sociology at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. She is an expert on mainline Protestant clergy and congregations and their attitudes toward homosexuality and has written about the congregational contexts in which Christian clergy need information about sexuality. She has also taught a class about sexuality issues at a Lutheran seminary and said she found the students hungry for information, but struggling with how to put it in context. Contact 781-736-2641, wcadge@brandeis.edu.
  • Miguel A. De La Torre is an associate professor of social ethics at Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He is the author of A Lily Among the Thorns: Imagining a New Christian Sexuality and is on the board of directors of the Society of Christian Ethics. De La Torre is on sabbatical through January 2010 but will check his emails. Contact 303-765-3133, mdelatorre@iliff.edu.
  • Annmarie Early is an associate professor of counseling at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va. In 2008, she spoke at a leadership conference for Mennonite pastors on the subject of sexual wholeness. Contact 540-432-4213, annmarie.early@emu.edu.
  • Marie M. Fortune is founder of Faith Trust Institute, which has been dealing with clergy sexual abuse and professional boundary issues for decades. Contact 206-634-1903 ext. 24, mfortune@faithtrustinstitute.org.
  • Mary Hunt is co-founder and co-director of the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual in Silver Spring, Md. She is a Roman Catholic who describes herself as a feminist theologian. She wrote an entry about the report for the blog Religion Dispatches. Contact 301-589-2509, mhunt@hers.com.
  • Joel L. Kushner is director of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation, which is in Los Angeles. Contact jkushner@huc.edu.
  • Lori Hope Lefkovitz is a professor of gender and Judaism at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and director of Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women’s and Gender Studies. She can discuss general questions about gender and Judaism and the place of sexuality in the RRC’s curriculum on sexuality. Contact 215-576-0800 ext. 147, lefkovitz@rrc.edu.
  • Anne Lapidus Lerner is director and founder of the Jewish Women’s Studies Program, director of the Jewish Feminist Research Group and assistant professor of Jewish literature at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. She is also faculty adviser to its Isha El Akhota: The Women’s Center. Contact 212-678-8069, anlerner@jtsa.edu.
  • R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He has written a blog post against the study’s findings. Contact mail@albertmohler.com.
  • Emily North is pastor of Shalom Mennonite Congregation in Harrisonburg, Va., and Duane Beck is pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church in Raleigh, N.C. Together, they taught a class called “Sex and the Pulpit” during a leadership training seminar for Mennonite clergy at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg. Contact North at 540-432-1659; contact Beck at 919-833-1182.
  • Kate Ott is associate director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing, one of the sponsors of the study, and was the study’s director. She can discuss all its findings, answer questions about criticism of the study, and comment on its effects and repercussions. Contact via Tim Palmer, 914-438-4127 (cell), 203-222-0055 (office), palmer@religiousinstitute.org.
  • Lallene Rector is an associate professor of psychology of religion and pastoral psychotherapy at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. She is also director of its WomenIMAGES center. Contact 847-866-3904, ljr@garrett.edu.
  • Benjamin Reynolds is director of the LGBTQ Religious Studies Center at Chicago Theological Seminary. Contact 773-322-0236, breynolds@ctschicago.edu.
  • Bernard Schlager teaches in the Certificate in Sexuality and Religion Program at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif., and is executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry there. Contact 510-849-8206, bschlager@clgs.org.

Regional sources

IN THE NORTHEAST

  • Lisa Sowle Cahill is a professor of theology at Boston College, where her areas of expertise and teaching include feminist theology and sex and gender ethics. Contact 617-552-3890, lisa.cahill@bc.edu.
  • Marvin Ellison is a professor of Christian ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary in Portland, Maine. He is a scholar with the Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics, and his areas of expertise include Protestant Christianity, sexuality and social justice. Contact mellison@bts.edu.
  • Leanne Tigert teaches a course in sexuality and spirituality at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Mass. Contact 603-224-1162, ltigert@comcast.net.

IN THE EAST

  • Sharon Wyse Miller is a pastor at Ambler Mennonite Church in Ambler, Pa. In 2008, she spoke at a leadership conference for Mennonite pastors titled “Embodying Sexual Wholeness in a Broken World” held at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She told how she had to lead her congregants through a crisis involving a convicted sexual offender who wanted to attend their church. Contact 215-643-4876.
  • Ann Pellegrini is an associate professor of religious studies at New York University in New York City. Among her areas of interest is religion and sexuality and gender. She notes that the study’s recommendation for sexuality training within a given seminary’s faith tradition places it within the spirit of religious pluralism and moral complexity. Contact ann.pellegrini@nyu.edu.
  • Traci West is a professor of ethics and African-American studies at Drew University Theological School in Madison, N.J., and a United Methodist Church pastor. She participated in the study. Contact 973-408-3082, twest@drew.edu.

IN THE SOUTHEAST

  • Elizabeth Bounds is an associate professor of Christian ethics at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, where she teaches a course on Christian sexual ethics. Contact 404-727-4172, ebounds@emory.edu.
  • Theodore Brelsford is an assistant professor of theology at Emory University in Atlanta. He is co-editor of Contextualizing Theological Education. Contact 404-727-4016, tbrelsf@emory.edu.
  • Laura Olson is a political science professor at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. She is an expert on women and gender in religion and co-author of a paper on mainline Protestant congregations and homosexuality. She can discuss how clergy deal with sexuality-related issues and the relationship of religion to public opinion on sexuality-related issues. Contact 864-656-1457, laurao@clemson.edu.
  • Robert Prichard is a professor of Christianity in America at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. He is the author of A Wholesome Example: Sexual Morality and the Episcopal Church. Contact 703-461-1737, rprichard@vts.edu.

IN THE SOUTH

  • Mark Crook is dean of the School of Christian Counseling at Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport. Contact 318-686-2360.
  • Amy-Jill Levine is a professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn. Among her areas of expertise are feminist theology and gender in Judaism and Christianity. Contact amy-jill.levine@vanderbilt.edu.
  • Elizabeth Johnson Walker is an associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. She teaches a course in spirituality and sexuality. Contact 502-895-3411 ext. 433.

IN THE MIDWEST

  • David Boshart is pastor of West Union Mennonite Church in Parnell, Iowa. In 2008, he spoke at a leadership conference for Mennonite pastors titled “Embodying Sexual Wholeness in a Broken World” held at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Contact 319-646-6004.
  • Sarah C. Conklin is an associate professor of nursing and health studies at Northern Illinois University. She wrote a paper examining the relationship between spiritual formation and sexuality formation in seminaries. Contact 815-753-0525, sconklin@niu.edu.
  • Barbara Darling-Smith is an assistant professor of religion at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. She teaches a course on religion and sexuality and is interested in sexuality and gender within Judaism and Christianity. Contact 508-286-3693, BSmith@wheatoncollege.edu.
  • Patricia Beattie Jung is chair and professor of theology at Loyola University-Chicago. She is an expert on Catholic feminism and sexuality. Contact 773-508-2368, pjung@luc.edu.
  • Keith Graber Miller is a professor of Bible and religion at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. He spoke at a leadership conference for Mennonite pastors titled “Embodying Sexual Wholeness in a Broken World” held at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Contact 574-535-7436, keithgm@goshen.edu.
  • Douglas Mohrmann is an associate professor of religion at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich. He contributed a chapter titled “Is Anyone Listening? The Waning Voice of the Bible in Sexual Ethics” to the book Religion and Sexuality: Passionate Debates. Contact 616-949-5300.
  • Claudia Sadler-Gerhardt teaches a course in human sexuality at Ashland Theological Seminary, an evangelical school in Ashland, Ohio. Contact 419-289-5163, cgerhardt@ashland.edu.

IN THE SOUTHWEST

  • C. Gary Barnes is an associate professor of biblical counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas. He is also an ordained minister and a licensed psychologist who specializes in marriage and family research, counseling and training. In October 2009, he will lead a workshop for Christian leaders on “sacred sexuality” at Dallas Theological Seminary. Contact via the school’s public relations department, 214-874-4410.
  • Sister Paula Jean Miller is a theology professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She teaches a course titled “Theology of the Body.” Contact 713-686-4345.
  • Steven Tracy is a professor of theology and ethics at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Ariz. Gender and sexuality issues are among his specialties. He and his wife are the founders of Mending the Soul Ministries, which focuses on Christian married couples. Contact 866-535-5044.

IN THE WEST/NORTHWEST

  • Julie Hayden teaches a course at Southern California Seminary, an evangelical school in El Cajon, titled “Ethics of Sexual Care and Human Sexuality.” Contact 858-204-5297, jmhayden@sdcc.edu.
  • Naomi Sheindel Seidman is a professor of Jewish culture at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. She has written about Judaism and gender and Judaism and sexuality and is an expert in queer studies. Contact 510-649-2482, naomi@gtu.edu.
  • Laura Simmons is an associate professor of Christian ministries at George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Newburg, Ore. One of her areas of expertise is seminary education. Contact 503-554-6157, lsimmons@georgefox.edu.


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