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Traditional Religious Doctrine and Women's Sexuality

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Abstract

For many women the connection between sexuality and spirituality is frequently experienced in the context of their past or current religious beliefsbeliefs that privilege intercourse and male pleasure while ignoring much of what is rich and important in women's sexual experiencingresulting in feelings of shame, guilt and disconnection from a vital source of their power and pleasure. The focus of this paper is on the differences between religiosity and spirituality, and how women can be assisted to develop more positive and affirming sexual self constructions and nurture a more empowering sense of spirituality in their lives, in the face of sometimes oppressive religious teachings and beliefs. Suggestions are provided for helping women create more positive connections between their spiritual and sexual selves, irrespective of their religious affiliations and beliefs.
Traditional Religious Doctrine
and Women's Sexuality:
Reconciling the Contradictions
Judith C. Daniluk
NicoUe Browne
SUMMARY. For many women the connection between sexuality and
spirituality is frequently experienced in the context of their past or current
religious beliefs-beliefs that privilege intercourse and male pleasure
while ignoring much of what is rich and important in women's sexual
experiencing-resulting in feelings of shame, guilt and disconnection
from a vital source of their power and pleasure. The focus of this paper is
on the differences between religiosity and spirituality, and how women can
be assisted to develop more positive and affirming sexual self constructions
and nurture a more empowering sense of spirituality in their lives, in the
face of sometimes oppressive religious teachings and beliefs. Sugges-
tions are provided for helping women create more positive connections
between their spiritual and sexual selves, irrespective of their religious
affiliations and beliefs.
Judith
C.
Daniluk, PhD, is Professor of Education and Counseling Psychology and
Special Education, University of British Columbia. Nicolle Browne earned her MEd at
the University of British Columbia.
Address correspondence
to:
Judith C. Daniluk, PhD, Department of Education and
Counseling Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver,
BC,
Canada V6T 1Z4
(E-mail:
judith.daniluk@ubc.ca).
[Haworth co-indexing entry
note]:
'Traditional Religious Doctrine and Women's Sexuality: Reconciling
the
Contradictions."
Daniluk,
Judith
C.
and Nicolle
Browne.
Co-published simultaneously
in Women & Therapy®
(The Haworth Press) Vol.
31,
No. 1, 2008, pp. 129-142; and: Sin or
Salvation:
The
Relationship Between
Sexuality and Spirituality in Psychotherapy
(ed:
Amy Mahoney and Oliva
M.
Espin)
The
Haworth
Press,
2008,
pp.
129-142.
Available online at http://wt.haworthpress.com
© 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.
doi:
10.1080/02703140802145284 729
130 SIN
OR SALVATION
KEYWORDS. Sexuality, religion, spirituality, guilt, sexual script
INTRODUCTION
When
I
was approached by the editors about writing an article for this
special issue on women's sexuality and spirituality, my first inclination
was to decline their request. While intrigued by the topic, I had serious
doubts about my ability to write about spiritual issues, much less write
something that might contribute
to
the readership of
Women &
Therapy.
Certainly, the issue of spirituality has reared its head in my research and
writing related
to
women's experiences of their sexuality (e.g., Daniluk,
1993;
1998), and spiritual questioning and issues of faith often are an
important theme in my work with infertile women as they try to deal
with, overcome, and reconcile themselves to their inability to produce a
child (Daniluk, 2001; Zeiger, 1995). And there can be little question
about the increasing interest
in,
and attention
to,
spirituality in the litera-
ture in recent years-both feminist and mainstream (e.g., Eisler, 1995;
Feuerstein,
2003;
Gudorf,
1994; Heyward, 1989; Mahoney & Graci,
1999;
Ogden, 2002a and b; Timmerman, 1992). But I do not consider
myself a particularly spiritual person, and as a woman who was raised
within a devoutly Catholic family (i.e., regular church attendance, com-
munion, confirmation. Catholic elementary and secondary school edu-
cation), it was, and perhaps still is, impossible to untangle the vestiges
and webs of my Catholic upbringing, in terms of the role of my spiritual
beliefs in my experience of my sexuality.
In speaking with my co-author about this issue, reviewing the litera-
ture on spirituality as we contemplated writing this paper, and in recall-
ing the challenges of so many women I have spoken to and worked with
over the years, I realized that I am not alone in this struggle. According
to Moore (1980), "Of all the enigmas encountered by man [or woman]
during his [her] earthly existence, the relationship between sexuality
and spirituality is surely one of the strangest of all
mazes"
(p.
1).
It
is
fair
to say this relationship is likely even more complicated when organized
religion is involved-especially for women (Simpson & Ramberg, 1997;
Stevens, Caron & Pratt, 2003).
Indeed, spirituality
is a
difficult construct
to
define (Burkhardt, 1994;
Mahoney & Graci, 1999; Shahabi et
al.,
2002), being associated so often
with traditional, organized religions and religious faith and practices
(Ogden, 2002a and
b).
In her recent survey research of 2667 women and
1143 men, Ogden (2002a and b) noted how for many respondents the
Judith
C.
Daniluk and Nicolle Browne
131
connection between their sexuality and their spirituality was frequently
experienced in the context of their religious beliefs. Religious teachings
provide the framework within which people judge the rightfulness or
wrongfulness of their sexual feelings, fantasies, and activities, as well
as those of others (Gil, 1990; Hyde, 1994). In a recent survey of
2,039
students between the ages of
18
and
22
years,
Stevens et
al.
(2003) found
that the social control function religious values have historically served
for young adults still exists. "Those who felt religion played an impor-
tant role in their lives were much more likely to feel that virginity was
important in a life partner, premarital sex was not okay, abortion was
unacceptable, and sex without love was not okay" (p. 8).
Although some researchers and writers emphasize the potential for
"profound sexual and spiritual encounters" among those holding strong
religious beliefs such as practicing Christians (MacKnee, 2002,
p.
234),
Jung (2000) underscores the tremendous power religions have to main-
tain negative constructions of women's sexuality in accordance with the
values and power of patriarchy. Certainly that has been our experience.
With varying degrees of success, I have spent the better part of my adult
life attempting to exorcise some of the religious demons related to my
gender and sexuality that had firmly taken up residence in my psyche
and sexual self-esteem. Even though she was raised
a
few decades later,
during a time when sexual pleasure was the ethos for young women as
well as men and reliable birüi control was easily accessible, my co-author
also struggled to claim a sense of sexual entitlement and integration, of-
ten facing stereotypes and judgments based on mainstream religious
ethics on what a 'good girl' is despite her not being a member of any
particular religious institution.
It would appear that we are not alone in our struggles (Andolsen,
1992;
Ogden, 2002a and
b;
Simpson
&
Ramberg, 1997). Consequently,
the
focus of this paper is on how we, as feminists and mental health pro-
fessionals, can help our women clients develop more positive and
affirming sexual self constructions and nurture a more empowering
sense of spirituality in their lives, in the face of sometimes oppressive
religious teachings and beliefs. We begin by addressing the differences
between spirituality and religiosity. We then discuss some of the more
dominant religious perspectives regarding women's sexualities and
sexual natures as well
as die
consequences of
these
beliefs.
The
paper con-
cludes with suggestions on how we can help our women clients create
more positive connections between their spiritual and sexual selves, ir-
respective of their religious affiliations and beliefs.
132 SIN
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SPIRITUALITY DEFINED
What is spirituality and how does it differ from religiosity? Robert
Wuthnow (cited in Evans, 2001) traces the shifts in notions of spiritual-
ity over the past five decades in North America. He notes how in the
195O's spirituality was very closely tied to belonging to a church or or-
ganized religion. However, during the 60's, people started to look out-
side of what they perceived as the rigid and conservative constraints of
church and religious institutions, in an attempt to make meaning of their
lives.
This shift has led to the more current Zeitgeist of a highly person-
alized spirituality-one that is "personally and variously defined" by
individuals (Ogden, 2002a and b, p.
1).
This type of spiritual connection
and enlightenment might be realized not in a church, but through medi-
tation, nature, art, music, or sexuality.
According to Ogden (2002a and b) even the emerging literature on reli-
gion and sexuality is "somewhat misleading" in that it still "tends to equate
the notion of religious experience (often culturally and communally de-
fined) with the notion of spiritual experience (often personally defined)"
(p.
5). From this perspective, in terms of a distinction, religion is character-
ized by particular rules and consequences, traditions, and community,
while spirituality is characterized by personal and individual inspiration
and knowing.
In an effort to distinguish religiosity from spirituality, Mahoney and
Graci (1999) sent questionnaires to 22 experts in death studies and 13
experts in spiritual studies. Both groups noted differences between being
spiritual versus religious. There was consensus that the meaning of the
term spirituality is currently changing. "The themes most strongly asso-
ciated with spirituality in both groups were charity, community or
connectedness, compassion, forgiveness, hope, meaning, and morality"
(p.
521). Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes, Leaf and Saunders (1988) based
the development of their "Spiritual Orientation Inventory" to measure the
spirituality of those not affiliated with a traditional religion, on dimensions
such as the sacredness of life, altruism, idealism, having a life mission, and
the search for meaning and purpose in life. While some of these dimen-
sions are embedded within the values of most traditional religions, the
authors in both studies emphasize the role of individual perceptions and
values in the determination of spirituality for those who are not religious.
Alternately, scriptures and religious teachings are critical in the deter-
mination of spiritual beliefs and values for those who adhere to tradi-
tional religions (Hehn, Berecz & Nelson, 2001; Hyde, 1994; Jung, 2000;
Strauss, 2001; Simpson & Ramberg, 1997).
Judith C. Daniluk
and
Nicolle Browne
133
The centrality
of
individual perceptions and beliefs
in
the experience
of spirituality
is
apparent
in
much
of the
recent feminist literature
on
sexuality
and
spirituality. Common elements
in
these notions
of
the
re-
lationship between spirituality
and
sexuality includes
an
emphasis
on
meaning (Daniluk, 1998; Timmerman, 1992), intuition
and
self love
(Bonheim, 1997), oneness with
self,
partner,
or a
universal
or
divine
presence (Eisler, 1995), transcendence
and
transformation (Heyward,
1989),
and the erotic as
a
source of power and healing (Gimbutas,
1989;
Lorde, 1994; Shaw, 1994). This
is
consistent with Burkhardt's (1994)
grounded theory investigation into women's understandings
of
spiritu-
ality through in-depth interviews with 12 adult women
in
Appalachia.
For these women, spirituality was experiences
as:
... a unifying force permeating all
of
life,
and manifested through
one's becoming
and
connecting
. . .
Spirituality shapes
and
gives
meaning
to
life,
is
expressed
in
one's being, knowing,
and
doing,
and is experienced within caring connection with
self,
others, nature,
and ultimate other. Spirituality was related to an inner knowing and
source
of
strength,
(p.
12)
Personal definition, intuitive knowing, and
a
sense
of
"connectedness
to the whole,
or
to the universe,
or
to the divine" (Evans, 2001), appear
to be critical in constructions and the experience
of
spirituality
for
those
who do not adhere
to a
particular religious
doctrine.
It follows then, that
a
spirituality constructed through
a
personal lens of meaning and values-one
based on love, harmony and connectedness to the whole, and guided by
an inner knowing-has
the
potential to open
up
endless possibilities
for
vital, woman-affirming and personally empowering sexual self construc-
tions
and
experiences. Such
is not the
case, however,
for
many women
whose sexuality and sexual self perceptions are informed and reinforced
by religious doctrine.
RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES
AND
CONSEQUENCES
Some highly positive
and
even relatively neutral perspectives
on
women's sexuality
and
sexual nature
are
promoted
by
some religious
groups.
For
example, Hinduism's highly positive view
of
sexuality
is
supported by Kama, one
of
the four acceptable approaches
to
life,
as
reflected in the erotic Kama Sutra
(Hyde,
1994).
The eastern Tantric tra-
ditions within Hinduism
and
Buddhism also view sexuality
as
integral
to spiritual pursuits
and
value
the
principles
of
sexual equality, sexual
134 SIN
OR SALVATION
intimacy without domination, and reciprocity instead of power relation-
ships (Shaw,
1994).
Both Eisler
(1995)
and Bonheim
(1997)
note the value
placed on sexuality as a sacred source of healing the psyche and nurtur-
ing the spirit throughout history in cultures such as Egypt and Japan.
However, such positive, woman-affirming perspectives on sexuality
are not supported by most religions whose teachings are based on cur-
rent interpretations of
the
Bible,
The
Torah,
or
the
Qur'an (Hyde, 1994).
A thorough review of current Christian, Orthodox Jewish, Catholic,
Protestant, or Muslim perspectives on women's sexuality is beyond the
scope of this paper. For
an
in-depth review of these teachings, the reader
is referred to Andolsen (1992), Eisler (1995), Gudorf (1994), Jung
(2000),
Simpson & Ramberg (1997).
Being based upon or interpreted through patriarchal lenses, the com-
mon elements related to women's sexuality in the religious teachings
mentioned above include: a dualistic separation between mind and
body, spirit and sexuality; an emphasis on intercourse and procreation
in circumscribing the definition and purpose of sex; valuing and treasur-
ing of virginity; insistence on sexual exclusivity between married part-
ners;
sanctions against sex outside of marriage; and admonishment of
masturbation, sexual fantasies, and homosexuality (Helie, 2004; Hyde,
1994;
Jung, 2000; Pellauer, 2004; Slowinski, 1997; Simpson & Ramberg,
1997).
Jung (2000) notes how the Catholic church teaches that only
conjugal coitus is good with the essential elements necessary for the
completion of the marital act being penile penetration, release of semi-
nal
fluid
into the vagina, and male pleasure and orgasm but only because
these are required for ejaculation. She underscores how "The Catholic
emphasis on the perpetual virginity of Mary symbolizes the church's
ongoing inability to come to terms with the goodness of female sexual
pleasure"
(p.
33).
With an emphasis on sex for procreation for the purpose
of family building, the teachings in Orthodox Judaism oppose sex out-
side of marriage and the use of birth control (Zeiger,
1995).
In her article
entitled "Holy hatred," Helie (2004) notes similarly oppressive views of
women's sexuality in the majority of Muslim countries based on inter-
pretations of the Qur'an, with several Muslim countries still carrying
the death penalty for same sex relationships.
With their emphasis on sexual restraint and sex for procreation,
women's capacity for sexual pleasure is neither acknowledged nor
affirmed within most traditional religious frameworks (Hyde, 1994;
Simpson
&
Ramberg, 1997). Jung (2000) notes that "there is much cru-
elty" hidden deep in the world's moral traditions, with religion pres-
cribing
a view
of women's sexuality that
is
long on
shoulds,
duty,
and obli-
Judith
C.
Daniluk and Nicolle Browne
135
gation, and very short on
pleasure.
Current religious discourse regarding
women's sexuality privileges intercourse and male pleasure, while ig-
noring much of what is important in women's sexual experiencing in
terms of
meaning,
love, commitment, intimacy and pleasure, contributes
to the silencing of women's realities, and excludes the diversity and
range of experiences of not only heterosexual women, but lesbian, bi-
sexual, and transgendered women (Townsend, 2001).
What are the consequences of these oppressive messages for women
who were raised from childhood within traditional religious contexts, as
well as those whose spirituality in adulthood is informed by their reli-
gious beliefs and practices? Indeed, as Wolf (1997) notes, it is very dif-
ficult to untangle the organic and social elements in women's sexual
experiences. "So integrated are social and biological factors in [all]
women's experience of desire and pleasure that it is difficult to tease
them apart... joy, like its loss, is not only biologically but also cultur-
ally grounded" (p. 34) as well as being religiously sustained. How then,
do these traditional religious teachings which have been broadly incor-
porated into our cultural beliefs about sex and sexuality, shape and im-
pact the sexual experiences, identities and sexual self perceptions of
girls and women regardless of religious affiliation.
As early as 1953 in their book
Sexual Behavior in the Human
Female,
Kinsey,
Pomeroy,
Martin
and
Gebhard
reported the consistent negative
impact of Christianity and Christian teachings on women's capacity for
experiencing sexual pleasure. Almost 50 years later, long after the pur-
ported sexual revolution of the 60's and 70's, in her 2002 survey Ogden
found that participants' attitudes about religion figured heavily in their
narratives about their sexual experiences. While some respondents re-
ported that some religious beliefs about sex fostered feelings of
love,
in-
timacy, altruism and a sense of oneness with the divine, other beliefs
engendered feelings of guilt, shame, fear, sexual paralysis and a separation
from
self.
She quotes one respondent
as
saying: "Man, Catholicism sure
does screw up one's pleasure thoughts" (p. 17). Indeed,
The absence of sexual joy in so many women's lives is in part a
consequence of
the
way 'good sex' has been constructed in Chris-
tian moral traditions. While there is some room for women's sexual
delight along the fringes of this sacred canopy, it
is
not highlighted
under the big tent. (Jung, 2000, p. 33)
For many of the women in my sexuality research groups (e.g.,
Daniluk, 1993), and for many women clients with whom I have worked
136 SIN
OR SALVATION
over the past 25 years, the overwhelming legacy of religious teachings
about women's sexuality are often debilitating feelings of shame and
guilt (Daniluk, 1998). Women feel shame about their female bodies,
especially those parts most associated with their distinct sexuality-
their breasts and genitals. They feel shame when menstruation begins-
symbolically marking their fertility and entrance into womanhood. And
in an ironic paradox, they feel shame when menstruation ceases at
menopause-marking the end of their fertility and symbolically the end
of their sexual value. They feel shame when their bodies are unable to
produce
a
child-the ultimate goal that legitimizes their female sexuality
and their inherent worth in the eyes of God or Allah (Daniluk, 1999;
Zeiger, 1995). And they feel guilty for all their sexual thoughts, fantasies,
feelings and behaviors that do not fit within the rigid and oppressive
constraints advocated within these moral traditions.
According to Gil (1990), there is considerable evidence in the litera-
ture that the sexually guilty person is usually one who is devout and
constant in their religious beliefs (Gil, 1990). In examining gender dif-
ferences in religious fundamentalism. Helm et
al.
(2001) found that guilt
and shame are the common consequence for women, when the 'real'
self does not measure up or reflect the ideal sexual self supported by
Christian
doctrine.
Pick, Givaudan and Kline (2005) concur. According
to these authors the tension between sexual desire and religious norms
leads to limited communications and anxiety related to sexuality, espe-
cially for women, with the most common feelings associated with sexual
anxiety being "guilt, shame, tension or stress, as well as fear and pres-
sure"
(p. 45).
Townsend (2001) suggests that "our sexuality is basic to our capacity
to know and to experience God" (p. 157). Sexuality and spirituality are
complementary, interdependent and inseparable aspects of being fully
human. "Present to one another in an open system, they enhance each
other. Growth in one facilitates growth in the other as the whole person
grows ... a fully developed spirituality implies a fully developed sexu-
ality, and
vice
versa"
(Chavez-Garcia
&
Helminiak, 2004,
p.
151).
If that
is the
case,
the
sad irony
for
many
women
is
that traditional religious teach-
ings leave them to varying degrees guilt-ridden about, ashamed of, and
disconnected from their bodies, their sexuality, and their sexual selves,
and thereby unable to really know and experience the spiritual aspects
of their humanity. How then, can we help our women clients reduce
their feelings of shame and guilt related to their sexuality? How can we
assist them in embracing a spirituality that affirms and celebrates their
Judith
C.
Daniluk and Nicolle Browne
137
sexuality and sexual pleasure, in all its potential richness and diversity, ir-
respective of their religious affiliations?
RECONCILING THE CONTRADICTIONS
Sexual script theory (Jones & Hostler, 2001; Simon & Gagnon, 1986)
and feminist interactionist perspectives (Daniluk, 1998) are useful theo-
retical frames from which to work on these complex issues (Slowinski,
1997).
The goal of this work is to first see the client's sexual world
through her eyes, to help her gain insight into the beliefs, values and as-
sumptions that construct her sexual self perceptions and behaviors, and
then to assist her in developing alternate perspectives (scripts) and mean-
ings.
For example, by examining the messages and beliefs women clients
hold about masturbation, and challenging the source of these messages
and the validity of these beliefs (e.g., why would the lord create woman
with a body part-the chtods-the only function of which is to provide
pleasure, if women were not meant to experience sexual pleasure), they
may begin to perceive their sexual pleasure as being consistent with
God's will, rather than something "immoral," or "bad," or "sinful."
For those women whose sexuality has been shaped, damaged, and cir-
cumscribed by dualistic, oppressive, and restrictive anti-pleasure,
anti-woman religious doctrine and beliefs, a first step is to have clients
identify the beliefs and assumptions they hold about women's sexuality
in general and their sexuality in particular. It is necessary to explore the
meanings clients hold related to their sexual self perceptions, their bodies,
and the way they feel about and expresses their unique sexualities. In par-
ticular, it is important to explore the messages they received while grow-
ing up, as well as identifying the social, cultural and religious sources of
these messages. We can then begin to assist clients in teasing out and sep-
arating the positive, helpful beliefs and assumptions they hold related to
faith, morality, and values in general, from the shame- and guilt-inducing
messages they have incorporated related to their bodies and their sexuality.
The reader is directed to the first author's (Daniluk, 1998) book on
women's sexuality for numerous examples of how to identify and chal-
lenge the source of negative sexual messages and meanings.
According to Jung (2000), "Recognizing and naming what makes for
bad sex is important work, but women must begin to (re)construct their
theological and moral traditions offering society new accounts of what
makes for good sex" (p. 42). Peilauer (2004) similarly emphasizes how,
to correct mistaken and misbegotten notions regarding the nature of
138 SIN
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women's sexuality "we must create more accurate accounts of female
sexuality" (p. 161). Several feminist writers attempt to do just that, by
challenging the validity of male defined interpretations of scriptures
and religious teachings regarding women's sexuality (e.g., Bonheim,
1997;
Eisler, 1995). Consistent with Lorde's (1978, 1994) contention
that sexual pleasure can contribute much to a woman's sense of
self-
love,
self-worth, and connection, Jung (2000) presents
a
Roman Catho-
lic's perspective on women's sexual pleasure and delight, focusing on
the recovery and celebration of women's bodily experience and the ar-
ticulation of
a more
woman-affirming moral tradition. Christine Gudorf
(1994) also uses a Roman Catholic lens to make a persuasive case for
the moral goodness of women's sexual pleasure and delight. A pastoral
counselor and marriage and family therapist, Townsend (2001) chal-
lenges the dualism inherent in Christian doctrine, and presents a more
holistic theology of women's sexuality that honors and celebrates the
central role of embodied sexuality in women's "capacity to know and
experience God" (157). In an attempt to celebrate women's sexuality,
Pellauer (2004) focuses on the moral significance of female orgasm,
and both Hey ward (1989) and Timmerman (1992) articulate emerging
feminist theologies that connect the body with personal power and self
determination. Sharing these woman-positive, feminist perspectives on
the interface between religion, spirituality, and sexuality can be a pow-
erful tool in helping women clients embrace more affirming, integrated
and woman-positive views of their sexuality, within the moral, reli-
gious,
and spiritual traditions that
guide
the other aspects of their
lives.
Readers are also directed to the important work of feminist sexuality
therapists who reject the dualistic and value-ladened categories of sex-
ual function and dysfunction, in favor of more expansive and holistic
views of women's sexuality that emphasize self-love and acceptance,
pleasure, connection, and the wide range of experiences and activities
that constitute the diverse sexualities of women (e.g., McCormick, 1994;
Ogden,
1999;
2002b;
Schwartz
&
Rutter,
1998;
Tiefer
&
Kaschak, 2001).
Current feminist efforts to articulate more expansive, woman-positive,
empowering connections between women's sexuality and spirituality
can also help clients develop and articulate more affirming connections
between their spiritual and sexual selves
(e.g.,
Bonheim,
1977;
Gimbutas,
1989;
Lorde,
1994;
Ogden,
2002 a and
b;
Shaw,
1994;
Timmerman, 1992).
It is also important to recognize that the negative and oppressive be-
liefs and dominant scripts related to sexuality in general and women's
sexuality in particular, like the air we breathe, permeate, and to varying
degrees have shaped the lives and experiences of all women-not just
Judith
C.
Daniluk
and
Nicolle Browne
139
those for whom religiosity was or
is a
part of their lives (Daniluk, 1998).
Consequently, it
is
important that therapists working with clients on issues
related to their sexuality and sexual self-perceptions examine our own
beliefs, values, and messages regarding the sexual nature, needs, and
rights of women, and to be aware of our comfort or discomfort in ad-
dressing these issues (Bridges, Lease, & Ellison, 2004). It is necessary
for therapists to monitor our reactions to hearing women's narratives
about sexuality, spirituality and religiosity, and to be aware of what this
triggers for us based on our own upbringing and beliefs-being vigilant
to respect and honor each client's world view-irrespective of how these
views may conflict with our own values.
Finally, it is important for therapists to acknowledge and appreciate
the tremendous challenges women face in turning off the negative, op-
pressive tapes that have played in their minds and lives for many years
and shaped their understanding and experiences of their sexuality. As
one woman said
to me
after
a
workshop focused
on
helping women reduce
sexual shame and guilt, and create healthier sexual self-constructions:
"You need to let people know how hard it is to turn off those tapes and
really start to feel good about your body and your sexuality. It doesn't
happen overnight. It's an ongoing, lifelong process."
For all women, it is an ongoing challenge to nurture and sustain a
spirituality that celebrates women's sexuality and erotic potential in all
of its varied forms of expression, within a social and cultural context
that so often disregards, diminishes, and disqualifies that potential.
However, the rewards for doing so can be great in the form of healing,
celebration, passion, pleasure, intimacy, love, and connection with
self,
others, and the divine. As Pellauer (2004) so aptly states:
We need to follow the trails of our joy with the same persistent
adventurousness with which we have explored the pains of sexual
abuses.
We
need
to
explore this terrain in
a
mood that can acknowl-
edge the disappointments without letting go of the delight. . .
Celebrating women's sexuality is key to good sexual ethics, feminist
or
not.
Such
a
celebration requires
a
many-meaninged, many-valued,
many-voiced complexity that can rejoice in the fact that we are
many and not one...
We
need many more voices raised
to
describe,
to speculate, to linger over the meaning of our delights, (p. 182)
As feminist therapists, we can play an important role in this celebra-
tion, in our own lives, and in our work with our clients.
740 SIN
OR SALVATION
REFERENCES
Andolsen, B.H. (1992). Whose sexuality? Whose tradition? Women, experience and
Roman Catholic sexual ethics. In R.M. Green (Ed.), Religion and sexual health:
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... This suggests that, for young women, religious teachings may not send a message of sex as a pleasurable or positive experience. Prior research suggests that many religions teach that sex is solely for procreation rather than personal desire (Daniluk & Browne, 2008;Runkel, 2008). The stronger these young women identify religiously, the more they seem to see sex as taboo and associated with shame. ...
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The present study examines how a partner’s Problematic Pornography Use impacts the overall sexual experience of the Christian woman. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, we explored the intersection of gender, religion, and sexuality with 21 women of faith (the majority of whom had sought out mental health treatment) to better understand how the Christian woman’s sexuality shifts in response to her husband’s consumption of pornography. Three major themes emerged from the data: Discovery Impacts Desire, I Am Not Enough, and Sexually Disenfranchized. We discuss important implications for clinicians and clergy that promote the emotional, physical, and sexual safety of women.
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Introduction Despite a growing body of research on psychosocial factors in Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder (GPPPD) during sexual intercourse, there are few studies examining adolescent and young adult women's experiences with painful sex and the effects of religiosity, sexual education, and sex guilt. Aim The purpose of the study was to examine the occurrence of GPPPD among sexually active female college students, including psychosocial factors of religiosity and religious practice, sexual education, sex guilt, and sexual distress. Methods Data were collected from 974 college women from a university in the Northeastern U.S. We limited our sample to sexually active women (n = 593, 60.9%; mean age: 18.96) who responded to the questionnaire item, “In general, do you feel pain with sexual intercourse?” Participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS), Revised Mosher Sex Guilt Scale, Abbreviated Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, 10-item Gender Role Beliefs Scale, and measures on sexual wellness and practice and sexual education experiences. Data were analyzed using standard bivariate and regression analyses as well as path analysis. Main Outcome Measures Women were asked, “In general, do you feel pain with sexual intercourse?” and categorized into one of three pain groups: occasional (10%–25% of the time), frequent (50% or more), and no pain (less than 10%). Results GPPPD with sex was prevalent among young college women, with 113 (19.1%) reporting frequent pain and 143 (24.1%) occasional pain (control n = 337, 56.8%). Numerous statistically significant factors were identified, including frequency of sex, ability to orgasm, sensations during intercourse, presence of a steady sexual partner, expectations of painful sex, sex guilt, and sexual distress. Sex guilt acted as full mediator between religiosity and painful sex. Implications Healthcare providers should proactively initiate conversations with young female patients about painful intercourse to identify issues and normalize language on pain with sex. Educators are urged to teach evidence-based information on pain-free and guilt-free sexual experiences inside and outside religious contexts. Conclusion Painful sex affects adolescent and young adult women at a similar rate as non-college adult women and while religiosity does not directly impact young women's GPPPD, religiosity does lead to painful sex if it causes sex guilt. Further research is needed into the mechanisms of religion-based sexual shaming and among religiously conservative women who practice abstinence until marriage. Azim KA, Happel-Parkins A, Moses A, et al. Exploring Relationships Between Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder, Sex Guilt, and Religiosity Among College Women in the U.S. J Sex Med 2021;xxx:xxx–xxx.
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Background: Research has shown that up to 53% of adult women, at some point in their lives, suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction in the United States, although it is frequently underdiagnosed. Dyspareunia is a type of pelvic floor dysfunction that is identified as pain with sexual intercourse, tampon insertion, vaginal examinations, vaginal stimulation, and other occurrences involving vaginal touch. There are a limited number of studies that use qualitative approaches investigating women’s experiences of dyspareunia. Objectives: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the emotional, physical, and psychological experiences of self-identified Christian women from the Midsouthern United States who have been recently diagnosed with dyspareunia associated with pelvic floor muscle overactivity. The research question was: How do self-identified Christian women in the Midsouthern United States experience dyspareunia? Study Design: Narrative inquiry was the qualitative methodology used for this study. Methods: Methods of data collection included questionnaires followed by semistructured interviews with 8 women. Results: Thematic analysis was used to discuss 4 themes: (1) misdiagnosis and dismissal (personal and medical) of chronic dyspareunia; (2) individualized strategies for coping with chronic dyspareunia; (3) sex (mis)education: influences of abstinence-only approaches, purity culture, and peer pressure; and (4) understandings about sex, religion, and pelvic pain. Conclusion: Primary care physicians, gynecologists, and pelvic floor physical therapists are encouraged to recognize the importance of factoring sociocultural aspects, such as religion, into their patient care and treatment, and to proactively discuss them during patient assessment. Pelvic floor physical therapists are encouraged to address women’s sociocultural contexts, including potential expo- sure to religious messages of shame and fear, during patient intake, and possibly throughout treatment.
Chapter
Conflict experienced by LGBT people in the process of integrating their sexual identity and their religious/spiritual identity, though not exclusive to LGBT people of African descent, is especially culturally relevant for people of African descent. Researchers or practitioners who address the population should inquire about the individuals’ experiences and attitudes around the issue of religiosity. LGBT people of African descent have likely been enculturated from an early age to embrace some form of worship experience. The intersecting identities of race, sexuality, and religious/spiritual self may together strongly inform their sense of self. The salience of race cannot be overlooked as it relates to ancestral baggage and concerns about how Black people are sexually perceived in society. Scriptures or other religious writings that may appear to condemn same sex sexuality may be employed by heterosexual people of African descent in order to gain compliance with compulsory heterosexuality. Compulsory heterosexuality may also be upheld as the norm due to misinformation or lack of information about the diversity of Black sexuality throughout the history of Black people. The healthiest of LGBT people of African descent are likely to be those whose thoughts do not include notions of an undesired self. Those who have a healthy integration of sexual identity and religious/spiritual identity will likely be those who have cognitively restructured their attitudes about religion, are open to new spiritual experiences, and have a relatively high global self esteem.
Article
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Chapter
This collection of essays seeks to expand the parameters of the debate on pornography. In an effort to move away from the divisive frameworks of which side are you on? and who counts as women worthy to be listened to? in feminist debates on pornography, this volume seeks to understand what pornography means to those who consume it, fight against it, work within it, and to those engaged in changing its meaning. By opening up a space for divergent points of view to address the complexity of sexual material, this volume seeks to forge solidarity amongst a diverse array of constituencies, including academics, activists, and sex workers from diverse socio-political contexts. Through seeking to address the relationship between imperialism, the exotic, and the pornographic, the collection moves away from Eurocentric perspectives on pornography, by including the perspectives of women involved in struggles for national liberation in the South. This volume explores a wide range of issues, such as, how the meaning of pornography is shaped by changing historical and political realities; the role law should play, if any, in the sex industry; whether union organizing can change the working conditions in the sex industry; kinds of representational politics available for redefining pornography; and how sexually explicity literature, videos, art, and music can serve the purpose of sexual freedom. Contributors to the volume include Diana Russell, Catharine MacKinnon, Andrea Dworkin, Wendy Brown, Becki Ross, Mallek Alloula, M. Jacqui Alexander, Victoria Ortiz, bell hooks, Rey Chow, Judith Butler, Candida Royalle, Zoraida Ramirez Rodriguez, amongst others.
Chapter
This essay focuses on the position of women vis-à-vis “tradition” — the process by which a religious community hands on, from generation to generation, the wisdom of the past, in this case, wisdom concerning human sexuality. From my perspective as a woman, the materials concerning sexuality usually encompassed by the phrase “the Roman Catholic tradition” are a painful and sometimes repulsive collection. Misogyny, distrust of the body, and antipathy toward sexuality are found in too many classic Catholic theological sources. Reexamining the tradition from a perspective that affirms women’s struggles for sexual wholeness, I have gained a heightened sense of the scope, complexity, and ambiguity of my church’s moral memories.
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Sexual Script Theory (SST) and its clinical applications are premised on the notion that the subjective understandings of individuals of their sexuality determine the persons' choices of sexual actions and the qualitative experiencing of those sexual acts. The key elements of SST and key Christian control beliefs about sexuality are described, and then related in an integrative exploration of SST. The limits of an understanding of psychological scripting grounded in an unfettered Constructivism, and the limits of a purely pragmatic understanding of script legitimacy, are each discussed. We develop the pervasive theme of the necessary connectedness of sexual scripting to the broader processes of self-definition, which for the Christian, are to be rooted in a biblically-derived set of categories that connect sexuality to the character of the whole person, to their union with a spouse In marriage, and to the human community (individually and corporately) in its relationship to God.
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Grounded in a consideration of what constitutes "the real thing" in contrast to various counterfeits where human sexuality is concerned, the issue of sexual revolution is examined along with the challenges to the community of healers. The thesis presented is that, in contrast to the typical definition, true sexual revolution consists of spiritual influences that have called humanity back to the nature and function of sexuality as created and intended by God, relying on Scripture for guiding precepts. It is proposed that there have been three universally significant sexual revolutions in human history initiated by (a) the giving of the Decalogue, (b) the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the Apostles, and (c) the writings of the Puritans, grounded in the work of the great reformers. Following a consideration of the state of sexual views and behaviors in today's society, including those in the church, a call is issued to all who serve in helping roles to do all that can be done to promote a return to a balanced position, which was held throughout history regarding sexual beliefs and was practiced by those committed to faithful application of God's revelation.
Article
Existential-phenomenological methodology explored the meaning and experience of profound sexual and spiritual encounters described by five men and five women who were practicing Christians. Through qualitative analysis of these mysterious experiences, eleven common themes that portrayed the wonder, euphoria, bonding, arousal, transcendence, blessing, and sacredness of these peak events emerged. God's presence during sexual intimacy enabled the body, soul, and spirit to celebrate ecstatic union collectively in elevated responsiveness. In addition, the aftereffects of linking sexual and spiritual dimensions for the contributors were revealed as seven transforming, empowering, and affirming themes. Results provide a valid basis for a previously undisclosed phenomenon as well as inform Christian educators, pastors, counselors, and practitioners regarding the potential of biblical "one flesh" connection.