January 25, 2015: A Theology of Lust – Amanda Pennington

Sex is often referred to as “getting some.” Which is an interesting turn of phrase and far more than semantics. It reflects an attitude about sex that is dominant in our culture. Namely that one person is often placed below the needs of another. From pornography on the computer screen to a bed behind closed doors many believe that we go into sex to get something from the other – meaning the other is there to serve our needs. 

But this is not what we see in the Song of Songs. Both the woman and the man express their desire for the other. And in a day in which women were literally property – we see something astonishing. The woman is given equal voice with the man in speaking of her desires. Make no mistake – they are equals. Which raises the question, how would our understanding and practice of sexuality change if we recognized equality and mutuality?.