The development of theological-ethical structures of human personhood as descriptive basis for clergy confessional conduct

This dissertation presents a study designed to reduce and ultimately prevent male clergy sexual misconduct in America by reacquiring the biblical definition of the meaning of a truly whole and holy human.;Part I confronts according various modern scientific surveys relating to sexual orientation, the significance of irrefutable fact. The analytical human-oriented response of liberal post-modern theologians resulted in redefining traditional doctrines precisely on the basis of the conclusions of such uniquely human research and scientific discovery as the Kinsey report. Here a volunteer survey led to skewed extrapolations giving rise to a flawed understanding of divinely created human sexual design and human personhood, which redefined abnormal practices as normative and alternative, and effectively inverted the biblical image. Such inversion is responsible for dehumanizing human self understanding and human and divine relationships. This theological "progress" is retraced and reversed based on a theology of human personhood which incorporates, but is not determined by, humanity. Part II revives a theological anthropology which reveals inadequacies of modern theological linear models to display the multifaceted levels of co-human personhood. Affirming reliability of traditional models of revelatory theology I propose a new pictorial Axis model to represent the multi-dimensional nature of co-human personhood in congruency with Creator and the other. The model also identifies the segment of the axis which reveals the isolation in which clergy sexual misconduct is capable of operating within a person and community.;Lastly, we initially focus on the perpetrators of sexual misconduct through two case histories. However, focusing on perpetrator alone ignores a community-wide malady effecting and destroying more than the personhood of perpetrator and victim. It attacks the foundations of the validity of true Christian community. The only answer is to develop an Accountable Confessing Community as a supportive pastoral care system. Only then can we move in a consistent direction to implement an ongoing program of supportive pastoral care to pastors so they may be more capable of resisting temptation and fulfilling the integrity of their call.;The ability to be proactive in ensuring the integrity of multi-layered systems of ministry and pastoral care is directly related to understanding human nature as designed by God. Describing an anthropology grounded in a biblically derived doctrine of theological anthropology as a basis for ethical decision making is our methodology.