A CONVERSATION ABOUT GAY UNIONS - Part One: "The contexts of the Conversation," April 3, 2005

Presenter: The Rev. Dr. Richard Pfaff, Priest Associate, the Chapel of the Cross and Professor of History, UNC-CH

Summary by Martha Schütz Lo

Parish dialogue on the issue of same gender unions and the role of homosexuals in our denomination has been encouraged by the General Convention, the Windsor Report, and our own Bishop Michael Curry.

The rector proposed launching this conversation with a series of discussions, open to the community, to be held over three successive Sunday mornings and evenings in April, following the framework of

• An initial conversation supplying historical and theological background to the issue, facilitated by Priest Associate and UNC Professor of History Richard Pfaff
• An examination of how the issue intersects with contemporary theology by the author of Gay Unions in the Light of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason, the Rev. Gray Temple
• A consideration of the issue from the perspective of an active parish priest and our rector, Stephen Elkins-Williams.

Dr. Pfaff's contribution on April 3, titled, "Contexts of the Conversation," paralleled the rector's framework in its format: it guided participants on an exploration of the issue from the abstract (textual interpretation) to the concrete (the role of experience in formulating moral theology). Advocating a pursuit of common terminology and clear premises, Dr. Pfaff hoped throughout his remarks to aid unambiguous discussion. He then set out three "contexts" in which to consider same-sex unions and the Church.

I. Exegesis (or critical explanation or interpretation, especially of Scripture). Dr. Pfaff cautioned that, in approaching the texts considered most pertinent to the issue, a) there are no "unfiltered" encounters with Scripture; b) all biblical witness has been transmitted through mutable physical objects; c) all formal divisions in the Bible (chapter, verse, etc.) are post-13th Century constructions (not original to the texts' authors); and d) the vocabulary of biblical writers needs to be respected for both its character and limitations.

Applying these "hermeneutical principles" to passages often cited as of special relevance - Leviticus 18:22, Genesis 19:4-5, Romans 1:27 (and 26), and I Corinthians 6:9 - Dr. Pfaff showed that the language used uniformly expressed disgust with the homosexual activity the writer thought he was talking about; but that condemnation of the behaviors alluded to did not constitute a blanket condemnation of "homosexuality," a word not known in biblical times. It was not useful to separate exegesis from theology.

II. Theology. Dr. Pfaff then compared the contributions that branches of theology, principally Ascetical (striving toward 'perfection' in relation to God) and Moral (coming to terms with 'imperfection,' especially in assessing sin in relation to human beings), make to reflections on homosexuality. Moral theology, in its most traditional structure, can be particularly helpful, not least because it takes into account the third context, that of human experience.

III. Experience. Dr. Pfaff began consideration of this context by focusing on the 'accepted norm' of heterosexual marriage against which same-sex union is frequently set. He observed that few contemporary marriages satisfy all received understandings about heterosexual marriage, notably, about 'consummation' of marriages and fulfillment of the procreative function; and then questioned how same-sex unions, which exhibit many of the same characteristics of non-conformity to the stereotyped norm, can be singled out as wrong per se.

He then returned to Scripture, citing three passages about (heterosexual) intimate relationships - Genesis 2:24; Song of Solomon/Songs; Ephesians 5:21-31 - all of which involve ambiguity and raise issues in sacramental theology. He concluded by suggesting that traditional moral theology could help the Church deal sensitively with the experiential dimension of specific relationships.

These remarks engendered discussion on topics as wide-ranging as whether the married state continues into the afterlife; when the church became involved in the practice of marrying couples (largely in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries); why the issue of same-sex unions has gained more attention than pressing social and economic justice issues the Church faces; whether multiple marriage (polygamy) is condoned in some parts of the Anglican Communion; and how necessary and important it is for our parish to engage in these conversations now, nine years after they were called for by General Convention.

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