Incarnational Love: Theological Reflection on Sexuality, Love, and Justice

The importance of the Incarnation has often been undercut in the Christian theological tradition by placing an exaggerated emphasis on the crucifixion-resurrection. This has sadly led us to a false spiritualization of human existence and salvation. The gospels call us to recognize that it is precisely the appearance of Jesus and his earthly ministry which give meaning to his death and resurrection. The love expressed by Jesus, which demands struggle for just relations, was grounded in his embodied sexuality. In his life and death, Jesus called us to witness that only in our passionate and fully integrated sexuality may we feel deeply enough to be moved to action for others and experience the fullness of love from our neighbors and from God. The sexual embodiment of God in a human being showed how love and just action must be the meaning of Christian religious experience and expression. An incarnationalist theology, which begins with the reality of our existence as embodied, sexual beings, is demanded by the gospel of Jesus. Such a theology takes seriously the diversity of experiences that our embodiment makes necessary. This includes the kinds of life experiences and personal decisions that determine primary affectional orientations. But this incarnationalist theology rejects the exclusive divisions of those who are homosexual or heterosexual by affirming a plurality of sexual experiences and by embracing fully alive and integrated human sexuality motivated by love and justice