Theology

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

10-10-2008

Abstract

Current theological dating literature devotes a significant amount of time and energy to confronting the issue of premarital sex and explaining the importance of chastity in any sexual relationship. At the same time, a number of recent sociological books suggest that students are throwing in the towel when it comes to dating and replacing it with an alternative practice called “hooking up.” Missing from both of these discussions and analyses of young adult’s dating practices, however, is the following question: what influence, if any, does this current generation’s contraceptive practices, especially women’s easier access to the birth control pill, have on why young men and women are choosing to “hook up” rather than date? We need to attend to this question because the “hook up” culture is rapidly developing on college campuses, and within many American high schools, due to a constellation of factors, such as women’s easier access to safe and effective birth control. However, in choosing to “hook up” and ignore the Church’s teaching on premarital sex, students also discount another Church teaching, the ban on contraception. Thus not one, but two Church teachings are potentially disregarded. In this presentation, Prof. Kari-Shane Davis (Theology) will offer a brief overview of what is “hooking up,” and suggest how today sexual landscape is contributes to the practice of “hooking up.” Prof. Davis will also offer some suggestions as to how we might move forward as theologians seeking to engage students where they are given today’s sexual landscape.

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The slides for this presentation are not available.

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