A Sydney Anglican sexologist who hosted Australia's highest rating Christian television program has been recalled to the couch to help front a new relationship series for the ABC.
Dr Patricia Weerakoon, a lecturer at Sydney University, has been speaking on the nature of healthy sex to Christian and non-Christian audiences for decades.
Producers working on a panel-style program titled "Agony Aunts' have contacted Dr Weerakoon to ask "would she be interested in doing a series with them?'
"I said I am a Christian and any advice or opinions I give will be within the paradigm of my beliefs - that God is sovereign and Jesus is the saviour. And they would have to accept that," says Dr Weerakoon.
"They asked me if I would be upset that lots of the couples were not married. I told them I wouldn’t be moralising but whatever advice I gave would be given within that paradigm.
"All things good in relationship and sexuality come from a sovereign God."
The sari-clad matronly Dr Weerakoon has already contributed to a number of television programs including the ground-breaking Christian series "Good Sex' and "The Glasshouse'.
The new series, set to be released in early 2006 will be hosted by veteran television and radio presenter Clive Robertson.
It was the chemistry between Mr Robertson and Dr Weerakoon that attracted the producers' attention.
"His first question to me was ‘Why is sex so important?’, so I told him that God created all that was perfect and that it is was all goooood," she says, dropping her voice to a purr and laughing.
"But I told him we rejected God’s plan and that’s how we messed everything up. And that’s why we see so many problems today."
Dr Weerakoon wants the producers to clearly understand the motivation behind her contribution, so she will be donating her appearance fees to Moore Theological College.
"I thought that the ABC was poor but I was really surprised with what they offered," she says.
"I'm sure they will be a little surprised to find out they're funding Christian ministry."
Dr Weerakoon has just returned from Sexpo in Melbourne where she represented the University of Sydney's graduate online program in sexuality.
She says our society has never been in so much need of good relationship advice.
"I went looking for something that encouraged relationships, but most things were just in-your-face and obnoxious," she recalls.
"There was nothing for people who were disabled or sick " it was all about just having things better for yourself. My focus is going to be completely about being other-people centred."
Dr Weerakoon will be passing on essential advice and helpful tips this weekend at the God and Family conference sponsored by the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education (CASE).
This year the CASE conference tackles the Christian understanding of family and its relevance for social and ethical debate.
Speakers also include Andrew Cameron, Trevor Cairney, and Greg Clarke, with talks beginning on Friday at New College, the University of New South Wales.
On Saturday morning Dr Weerakoon will be speaking on "Sexuality and the Family', particularly the role of the family in communicating sexual information to adolescents.
"The research shows that adolescents would like to get that information from their families, but where they’re really getting it is from their peers and pornography," she says.
"Surprise, surprise, mothers talk far more than fathers do - to their sons as well as their daughters."
Dr Weerakoon says the lecture tackles a common deficiency in church programs aimed at sexual issues.
"My question is, what are we doing to encourage and equip our parents - especially fathers - to talk to their kids? We are encouraging them to talk, but it’s really not enough if we don’t give them the information and the skills."
See the CASE website for more details.
Photos courtesy the Sydney Morning Herald
