biblicalSINGLENESS
INTRINSIC PURPOSE . AUTHENTIC BELONGING . IN CHRIST
WELCOME+ABOUT
Dani
I'm passionate about helping churches, ministry leaders and individuals (both single and married) better understand God's purpose for singleness as revealed in Scripture and fulfilled in Christ. I am currently undertaking theological PhD research into the topic (read more about it here).
I was born and bred in Sydney, Australia and don't remember a time when I didn't trust in Jesus as my Saviour and call on him as my Lord. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree, I went on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College (Sydney) and was ordained as a deacon within the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. I served as the Women's Pastor at an Anglican church here in Sydney for almost 7 years before commencing doctoral research.
MYRESEARCH
The End of Singleness?
Towards a Theological Ethic of Authentic Purpose & Belonging for the Unmarried
Statistical data suggests that not only are more individuals remaining single for more years of their lives than at any other point in Western history, projections indicate that this will be increasingly the case throughout the first half of the 21st Century. Despite this, the overwhelming preponderance of evidence suggests that those who are not married remain the subject of significant stigmatization within a Western culture which honours partnering and parenting as normative. Rather than proving itself to be a place of belonging, inclusion and acceptance for those who are single, the contemporary Christian church’s idealization of marriage and the family has regrettably served to confirm singleness as a marginal identity, defined by deficit. My research explores how it might be possible to construct a compelling theology of singleness, such that the single Christian life is understood as being imbued with intrinsic purpose in and of itself, and authentic belonging within the community of God. I argue that an authentic theological ethic of singleness may be identified in the divinely ordained and transformative end (telos) of all things in Christ.
HELPFULRESOURCES
Resources From Others
Christian bookshops are full of titles on the topic of singleness. Unfortunately, the vast majority of such books tend to be heavy on personal anecdotes and Christian pop-psychology, and light on theology and biblical exegesis. Thankfully there are a number of titles which make a significant contribution to the broader field through their serious biblical, theological, historical, sociological and/or ethical reflection. The authors of these books have been willing to question the prevailing assumptions regarding Christian singleness, particularly with respect to the normative path of marriage and parenthood. They have each made a unique contribution to the literary landscape.
Of course, apart from Scripture, no book is "perfect". Each of the resources below have particular strengths and, arguably, particular weaknesses. As always, the reader ought to approach his or her task with an open mind that is nonetheless ready to engage carefully and critically. The resources displayed below are well worth the effort that such an endeavour requires!
Click on each book cover to find out more at its amazon.com listing and use the navigation arrows to cycle through the range of titles.
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