Holy Sexuality Week, a week devoted to conversations about sexuality and relationships from a spiritual view will take place during Chapel this week in Moody Coliseum and during special evening sessions in the Hunter Welcome Center.
Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, said he took a central role in planning the week and will speak alongside his wife, Brooke Schubert, at the Monday Chapel presentation.
“I felt that this would be a great opportunity for us as a faith community to stop and have a good, healthy, authentic conversation about what we believe the Bible teaches, and how we can encourage one another to be on the path that God has laid out,” Schubert said.
Cyrus Eaton, university chaplain, said that university leaders recognize this topic has been a point of tension, and he believes this is the first effort to move the community forward through meaningful conversation.
“We really want to be aware that students have their feelings towards this, and those feelings are valid,” Eaton said. “We want this to be a space where students know that these questions are going to be welcomed.”
The week will include presentations from three guest speakers, including The Branch Church lead minister Chris Seidman, author Mo Isom and author Christopher Yuan. Each speaker will also host an evening session to further engage in discussion with students.
“We’re having people that we’ve had some experience with and that have done a good job of talking about the subject and bringing it back to address the broader population,” Schubert said. “We felt that it would be appropriate to provide time for people to come and actually interact with the speakers.”
The speakers will present on specific topics revolving around sexuality and relationships. Eaton said the presentations will include a variety of perspectives on the subject.
“I think a number of people feel that this is an effort to be specifically into one area of sexuality,” Eaton said. “Many of us have been committed to saying that’s not where we need to start, and nor would it be helpful, but it is going to be part of the conversation.”
Eaton said that the goal of this week is not to unite all students in agreement but to achieve growth as a community.
“It’d be irrational for us to think that everyone will believe the same thing and that we will achieve theological alignment,” Eaton said. “But it is our hope that even though it’s sometimes hard conversations, this pursuit of journeying towards understanding together will allow us to love each other more deeply.”
While students are encouraged to attend, a live stream of each 11 a.m. Chapel presentation is available at acu.edu/live, and recordings of the evening sessions will be available the following day on YouTube.
