Human Sexuality and Justice Between the Sheets

To argue the flesh is inherently sinful alienates individuals from their bodies and, in turn, their sexuality. Redemption came to be understood as a flight from the body—the material toward the spiritual—an understanding that continues to influence faith communities today. Those seeking spiritual purification, hope for spiritual wholeness was, and continues to be, found in the process of freeing oneself from the sinful influences of one's body. What develops from this body/soul dichotomy is a very anti-body perspective, where the body, in and of itself, is evil. This leads Augustine to conclude, "Nothing is so much to be shunned as sexual relations" (Soliloquies, I:10:17).

Contrary to two millennia of Christian history concerning sex, to be human is to be sexual; not that sexuality is the totality of the human experience, but it is by far a major aspect of what it means to be alive. All who are or ever were human (including God in the flesh as Christ) have a need for right and just relationships with others. But if Christianity continues to view sex as something sinful, it will lead to unjust practices; for to seek justice deepens love for the other. To train one's heart to love others more deeply impacts one's love for one's beloved, and the ability to reach deeper levels of love can only enhance one's sexual encounters.

If the major goal for justice-seeking is an equitable sharing of resources and power, then dismantling power structures designed to privilege one group at the expense of another becomes a major task for those seeking justice-based social order. And if indeed such a social order exists in the bedchamber, then seeking justice between the sheets becomes the paragon for all other social relationships. This means there should be no difference between the patterns of intimacy within the private sphere and the overall socio-economic structures existing in the public sphere. What we do with our flesh in the privacy of our bedroom with our beloved is a virtue, because it is a means of learning how to selflessly love our beloved, the model for extending unselfish compassion for others.

Sex humanizes its participants, providing a self-giving paragon by which to relate to others. Sexuality then ceases to be a private matter as it moves to the public sphere as a moral imperative. Even though sex may occur in private, it has social ramifications; this means instead of being solely fixated upon the genitals, it provides the opportunity to move beyond the self toward the other. To desire sex is foremost a plea for communion, where the psychological and physiological needs of lovers are met. Sexual fulfillment within a vulnerable and mutually giving relationship validates our humanity, because to be human is to be in relationship with our beloved, with our God, and with our neighbor. Although physical sex may be limited to the beloved, still, the principles of putting the needs of others first becomes the basis of Jesus' teachings, which also becomes the foundation for creating justice-based communal relationships.