"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The fact of the incarnation has important implications for what it means to be human. Consequently there is a relationship between the way in which we regard our bodies, including our sexuality, and our ability to affirm the fullness of Jesus' humanity. If God embraced Jesus in his humanity as well as divinity, can we not say that God is present to all aspects of our human life, including our sexuality? This lecture explores the integral relationship between sexuality and spirituality that emerges when we take the incarnation with utmost seriousness.
Cristina Vanin, PhD
Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at St. Jerome's University, Cristina Vanin was recently appointed Director of the Studies in Sexuality, Marriage and the Family program there. This program was established in the 1970s to train teachers in the areas of family life and sex education. It has expanded into an interdisciplinary program which helps students to think critically about this central human reality. She received her doctorate from Boston College and teaches courses in the areas of Christian ethics, including sexual ethics, Roman Catholicism, Christian feminism, and ecological spirituality. Her areas of research include theology, religion and ecology, women and the Church, and ethics.