The future of sexuality debates in the Church: shared challenges and opportunities for theological ‘traditionalists’ and ‘revisionists’

Abstract

Sexuality debates in the churches often polarise along entrenched lines. However, emerging questions in sexuality and sexual ethics, including those on matters such as polyamory and BDSM, and in gender, including the rise of non-binary identity, may prompt ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’ alike to step well beyond their comfort zones and reconsider what are the goods that Christians should endorse. In this way, they may discover that, despite their disagreements about well-worn chestnuts such as same-sex relationships, they are closer together on broader concerns such as faithfulness, stability and permanence than they might previously have suspected.