Intersex and Ontology: A Response to The Church, Women Bishops and Provision

Susannah Cornwall's paper, "Intersex and Ontology: A Response to The Church, Women Bishops and Provision" , is published online today by the Lincoln Theological Institute. Its publication coincides with the Church of England General Synod's latest discussions concerning the consecration of women as bishops.

The paper is written in response to a document recently published by the Latimer Trust, by a group of writers concerned that a legal framework should be provided to protect those within the Church of England who do not accept the ministry of women bishops. Susannah Cornwall argues that the authors of that document assume a model of theological anthropology which does not take adequate account of the existence of physical intersex conditions.

She says,

"The fact that maleness and femaleness in The Church, Women Bishops and Provision are considered so self-evident that they do not require definition suggests that the authors do not consider human sex something which can be doubted. However, the existence of intersex, and the uncertainty it raises in some respects about polarized, either-or accounts of human maleness and femaleness, means that anthropologies grounded in fixed, polar models of human sex are anthropologies only of some humans. In order to be comprehensive, theological anthropologies should take account of all the evidence available. Not taking account of intersex, then, might lead to problems for arguments grounded in anthropologies of clear, fixed, polarized maleness and femaleness."

This research took place as part of the Intersex, Identity and Disability project at the Lincoln Theological Institute, University of Manchester. "Intersex and Ontology: A Response to The Church, Women Bishops and Provision"  may be downloaded as a PDF file, free of charge, from the project's resources page.

For more information about the project, please e-mail susannah.cornwall@manchester.ac.uk

Intersex, Identity and Disability project: Intersex conditions and healthcare chaplaincy

As part of the Intersex, Identity and Disability project at the Lincoln Theological Institute, Dr Susannah Cornwall is currently undertaking a survey of healthcare chaplains and chaplaincy assistants in Britain in order to learn more about the existing training and resourcing provided for those involved in pastoral and spiritual care for people with intersex conditions and, in particular, for parents whose children are born with intersex conditions/DSDs. She hopes to learn what kinds of additional training resources healthcare chaplains would most highly value in this area. 

To find out more about this aspect of the project, or to be added to the mailing list to receive updates, please e-mail susannah.cornwall@manchester.ac.uk

Other areas of the project continue. Dr Cornwall has now begun to conduct one-to-one interviews with people in Britain who identify as intersex and Christian in order to find out more about the interactions between their intersex condition and their faith identity. If you or anyone else you know might be interested in taking part in this area of research, either with a face-to-face interview or by filling in a questionnaire, please see the advertisement for research participants for more details - or simply contact Susannah Cornwall in confidence at the e-mail address above.

"PATRIOTISM?" CONFERENCE, 19TH MAY 2012, MANCHESTER

 

In the second of its conferences on civil society, the Lincoln Theological Institute is pleased to announce the conference, “Patriotism?”.

How might national loyalty, identity and cohesion be understood in a religiously plural and culturally differentiated ‘nation’? The conference aims to achieve greater clarity over whether or not the revivification of Patriotism is warranted, and in what ways a revitalised Patriotism may differ from past Patriotisms.  The present state of Britain’s relationship with the European Union, a proposed referendum on Scottish Independence, and the celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June 2012 make Patriotism a highly relevant topic.

Full details about the conference, including how to register, may be found at the conference’s webpage.

"Big Society--Bigger nature?" conference, 1st October 2011

The Lincoln Theological Institute is pleased to announce the international conference, “Big Society—Bigger Nature?”

The promotion of the theme of the “Big Society” continues to provoke much comment, including contributions from theologians. However, the question of the relationship between the “Big Society” and Nature (the wider environment, the range of human associations, and the nature of the human animal) has not so far been raised in any depth. This day conference addresses this lack and thereby contributes to a critical discussion of the potentials and weaknesses of contemporary civil society.

Full details about the conference, including how to register, may be found at the conference’s website.

Future Ethics in Leeds Civic Hall

On March 16 the LTI Future Ethics project came to Leeds for a specially designed day workshop for 14-16 year old Religious Education students, coinciding with national R.E. Week. Commissioned by the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education and the City Council in Leeds, entitled "Imagining the Future, Acting in the Present: a day of debate and reflection on climate change, ethics and belief" took place on March 16 in the Civic Hall Chambers of Leeds City Council, led by Stefan Skrimshire.

Using material developed during the LTI project for a younger audience was a challenging and rewarding experience, and a huge success: throughout the day students debated, listened, and took on role-plays reflecting the different ways that the future is imagined in the context of climate change according to social background, faith, and identities.

For a full report from the day, click here

Beyond The Tipping Point? at Lambeth Palace, March 2011

Beyond The Tipping Point? at Lambeth Palace, 21 March 2011

Stefan Skrimshire (LTI Honorary research fellow) was recently invited to speak at an Interfaith Forum on Sustainability for religious leaders and policy makers at Lambeth Palace. Jointly organised by Shrinking the Footprint (The Church of England national environmental campaign) and the London School of Jewish Studies, attendees and visitors included the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Lord Marland, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Energy & Climate Change.   

Stefan's presentation, using a short clip from the LTI film, Beyond the Tipping Point?, was on the subject of “the theological bases of environmental stewardship”. The talk reflected on the language of apocalypse, time and eschatology in relation to climate change tipping points and what these meant for environmental stewardship.

A short film and written report from the event are coming soon from Shrinking the Footprint.