Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in the New Testament and Early Christianity

HDS 1505 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course will explore the place of the New Testament and early Christianity in the history of gender and sexuality. Through a close examination of relevant primary literature, we will seek to understand how the early Christian tradition was shaped by the sex and gender protocols of the ancient Mediterranean world; how it, in turn, reshaped that world; and how the texts and practices in question have played a foundational role in the history of Western thought, and continue to impact cultural and religious debates today.  We will also work to become familiar with the increasingly developed (and complex) scholarly conversation surrounding these issues. This is a limited enrollment course.  Please email the instructor (bdunning@hds.harvard.edu) with a short introduction including relevant background and reasons for wanting to enroll in the course.  Students will be notified of acceptance before the enrollment deadline.