This morning I was reading the BBC News web site and an article about Abp. Rowan Williams’ recent difficulties over a lecture he gave the other day. I was struck by the switch in the article from discussing the fallout, the mis-reporting, and misinterpretation of the Abp.’s words, to the split in the Anglican communion over traditionalism and sexuality. Yesterday I interviewed Rev. Denise Donato of Spiritus Christi Church in New York for the Indie Voices Archive Project. During the course of our time together we talked about how sex, and sexuality has become the defining issue of Christianity today – and how we as OC/IC believers are often described in relation to, and defined by our sexual theology. This, for me, raises a raft of interesting and challenging questions about our place in the wider spectrum of Christianity.

Yesterday when talking with Rev. Donato I wondered outloud if this emphasis on sex and sexuality is the fallout from centuries of defining the church’s spiritual discipline, and moral code in relation to late antique asceticism – warping the intent of the first ascetics as well as the teachings of the Gospel. Rev. Donato pointed out that Jesus did not spend alot of effort talking about sex and sexuality, suggesting that there is a disporportionate emphasis on this topic in contemporary theology. She’s right of course – this seemingly undue emphasis is distorting the Christian message to outsiders, and frustrating the efforts of insiders to participate in a broader exploration of our life of faith.

How has this empasis affected our community? We need not dig too deeply to find web pages, blogs, and chat rooms representing OC/IC ideas and communities that highlight the sexual theology of that community. We ourselves have fallen into the frey and are actively defining our ministry and missions in light of sexual theology. I wonder – is this a good thing? Is this healthy? How does it affect our development in other areas of theology and mission? What does it say about us to the outsider looking in?

A partial answer to the last question can be found in many media reports about our communities – nearly all of them mention the sexual theology of that community. Likewise – in media, and on the web – those who are antagonistic towards our community, frequently comment on our “lax sexual mores” or our “liberal” approach to morality, and how we “spring up” in part as a reaction against the normative sexual theology of church X.

Body theology is an important element in the bigger picture of our life as faithful Christians; but I do wonder if the apparant over-emphasis on sex and the theology and symbolism of sex in our OC/IC context is missing an opportunity for us to once again stand up as a vanguard in new thinking and new approaches to being church. Many of our communities dealt with the ordination of women, and the full inclusion of LGBT believers, nearly a century ago. Why should we reflect the issues of other churches – who are only now struggling with these issues in a serious way?