Student Handbook

Human Sexuality

God has created us for relationships, and so we encourage students to build strong and lasting friendships that honor his intentions for us. In all relationships, community members are expected to steward their sexual expression with discretion, modesty, and respect for God and others, and in keeping with Biblical standards.

John Brown University seeks to foster an environment of sexual purity and wholeness based on a Biblical standard of fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman, and chastity in singleness.  Therefore, sexual intimacy is reserved for a man and a woman in a marriage. Similarly, because romantic relationships are often a precursor to marriage, same-sex-romantic relationships are prohibited while enrolled at JBU. 

In addition, students should seek to live with integrity and congruence between one’s birth sex and one’s gender identity in keeping with God’s wisdom and benevolent design in creating human beings as male and female. This includes not seeking alterations to one's birth sex by medical intervention or adopting persistent or exaggerated expressions of gender identity inconsistent with their birth sex. JBU recognizes that a student could find it difficult to live out this ideal, and such a student should contact the Vice President for Student Development or the Dean of Students to discuss whether and how JBU might be able to accommodate, if possible, their concerns. 

Students’ use of “preferred” personal pronouns

As stated in JBU’s Understanding of Marriage, Friendship, and Human Sexuality, the university affirms that God created human beings in his image as male and female (Genesis 2). Accordingly, JBU believes that people should live with integrity and congruence between their gender identity and their birth sex. (Genesis 2, Matthew 19, Romans 1, John 15, I Corinthians 6-7, Hebrews 13)

JBU considers the English pronouns she/her/hers and he/him/his as expressing the creational intent of a biological binary established in creation (Gen. 1, Matt. 19). The practice of stating “preferred” personal pronouns can be reasonably interpreted as supporting the idea that a person’s sex or gender identity is fluid and/or autonomously self-determined rather than grounded in God’s design in creation. Accordingly, JBU does not permit JBU students to state or request “preferred” personal pronouns in any campus context (e.g. email, classroom, video conferencing, social media.).  

JBU understands that there may be JBU-related settings (e.g., academic conferences, external internships) where students are required to specify their pronouns for registration or participation. In such cases, students may state their preferred personal pronouns, but they must align with their birth sex. 

Learn more about JBU’s understanding of marriage, friendship, and human sexuality in the university’s institutional commitments.