Eros, Eucharist, Social Change

Catalog description

Taught by PSR. If "God is love" is God also "eros"? Do contemporary notions of eroticism make a difference in how we could read biblical texts and historical Christian traditions? Does any of this matter for how Christian faith communities engage in positive social change? This course will explore the various cultural and historical meanings of the erotic in the development of Christian theological traditions and especially how these are reflected (or not) in Eucharistic liturgical celebrations. We will consider and test the hypothesis that "eros" marks a fundamental desire for "communion," which is on display at the Eucharistic Table, and further, that the erotic character of the Table offers a vision for social transformation rooted in the Christian Gospel. Lecture and seminar-style discussion; introductory course in theology recommended; offered in both live and online sections.