Women’s bodyrights and christian sexual ethics
For at least twenty years, Western feminist theologians working in the field of sexual ethics have been wrestling with question about human sexuality. Critical of oppressive, androcentric perspective in traditional Christian sexual ethics, feminist scholars have argued for a comprehensive revision of Christian thought in sexuality issues, – a revision that would, instead of denying women the moral right to control their own bodies, affirm and respect women’s bodyself and bodyright.
In my presentation I concentrate on the concept of bodyright with reference to feminist ethicist Christine Gudorf arguing that Western Christian culture has failed to recognize the bodyright of women and children. One of the consequences of this failure is the evidence of pervasive sexual violence against women. Feminist theologians working in the field of Christian sexual ethics struggle to move Western Christian culture toward more complete respect for bodyright. The moral vision is that all sexual relationships would change if bodyright were respected.
For this to occur all sexual unions would have to be based in mutuality. Feminist theologians in Western context have a valuable ethical contribution to make to global sexual ethics. Based on the moral principles of human rights, women’s human rights and sexual rights are underlined through the concept of bodyright: the moral right that all humans have to be in charge of their own bodies
