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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and
Social Sciences (EHASS)
ISSN – Online 2720-7722 | Print 2821-8949
Volume 5 Issue 8 August 2024 pp 1611-1626
Available online at: https://noyam.org/journals/ehass/
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245814
Pastoral Care Regarding Sexual Addictions within the
Context of the Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in
South Africa
Mmamajoro Phalatsi-Shilubana 1
1 Research Institute for Theology and Religion, University of South Africa.
INTRODUCTION
Pastoral care refers to ministration provided to others mainly by religious leaders to ensure the total
wholeness and wellness of God’s people. By its very nature, it is a broad, inclusive ministry of healing
and growth of those belonging to a congregation and the community through life’s cycle, i.e. from birth
to death.
1
The people of God go through brokenness and need healing and restoration that only God can
provide. Chisale and Buffel describe the purpose of pastoral care as the Christian response to the needs of
all members of God’s community so that all will enjoy a full and abundant life.
2
This is further highlighted
1
A J Van Den Blink, “The Family and Pastoral Care,” Journal of Pastoral Care 39, no. 2 (1985): 173–81; Kirk A Bingaman, “The
Postmodern Life Cycle and Pastoral Care and Counseling,” Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health 9, no. 1 (2006): 83–94.
2
Sinenhlanhla S Chisale and Olehile Buffel, “The Culturally Gendered Pastoral Care Model of Women Caring for Refugee Girls in a
Context of HIV/AIDS,” Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae 40 (2014): 297.
Correspondence
Mmamajoro Phalatsi-Shilubana
Email:
phalams@unisa.ac.za
Publication History
Received: 24th April, 2024
Accepted: 22nd July, 2024
Published online:
30th August, 2024
ABSTRACT
The practice of pastoral care is concerned with humanity’s total welfare
encompassing the emotional, spiritual, psychological, and personal spheres as
they pertain to, but are not limited to, sexuality-related matters. Pastoral
care professionals are typically trained to deal with various personal
challenges, including depressing sexuality-related issues and addictions.
Although the topic of sexual addictions has received reasonable attention within
the pastoral care framework, it continues to be considered taboo by most Christian
believers and some pastors equally. As a result, pastoral care providers in
countries like South Africa do not have solidified guidelines providing practical
direction around the question of sexual addictions. Through the combination of
the literature reviews and observations, the paper investigated possibilities of
developing guidelines that pastoral carers can employ in addressing the challenges
faced by those dealing with sexual addictions. These guidelines included an
intervention referred to as “Promise Keepers” which focuses on married men, and
Twelve Steps which is more popular as an intervention employed with substance
abuse. Additionally, the paper presented the Falling Forward Manual, an
intervention that focuses on Christian men facing challenges with sexual
addictions. Beyond the scope of pastoral care and notwithstanding its focus on
Pentecostal charismatic churches in South Africa, these guidelines will be
beneficial to all churches in South Africa and beyond.
Keywords: Pastoral Care, Sexual Addictions, Sexuality, Interventions, Religion,
Pentecostal-Charismatic Church
Phalatsi-Shilubana, M. / E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Vol.5 No.8(2024) pp 1611-1626
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1612
by Magezi in mentioning that the total human being (soul – Hebrew nephesh) and his or her need for care
and cure (healing) is the central concern of pastoral care.
3
Chisale and Buffel explain that in responding
to the needs of God’s community, pastoral ministry involves concern for the personal and social well-
being of God’s community on issues of physical and psychological health, as well as social life.
4
Many of
those who seek help belong to religious communities and different congregations, in line with South
Africa’s diverse societies.
The setting of this article is the Pentecostal charismatic churches within South Africa. South Africa
is not only considered one of the most advanced countries in Africa, but it has also seen growth in the
number of Pentecostal charismatic churches within the country. According to Ganiel, Pentecostal-
Charismatic Christians make up 12 percent of the population of the African continent, but about 20 percent
of the population in South Africa identify themselves as Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians.
5
Togarasei
asserts that it has been noted time and again that Pentecostalism, especially charismatic Pentecostalism,
is the fastest-growing type of Christianity in Africa, and South Africa is no exception.
6
In explaining the
nature of these churches, Kangwa notes that the various Pentecostal charismatic churches have specific
common ways of expressing themselves, premised on concerns that are shared between them and that
serve as a unifier, which is, the importance attached prophetic word, the power of the Holy Ghost,
prosperity of believers and supernatural healing.
7
He further notes that even though they somehow differ,
African Pentecostal charismatic churches in general offer a realistic Christian ministry that seeks to speak
to everyday needs such as sickness, lack, economic inactivity, feelings of being alone, fear of evil spirits,
and witchcraft.
8
Additionally, tangible blessings (fruit of the womb and the ability to bear children, health,
proper housing, plentiful harvests) are perceived as indications of heavenly blessings. On the other hand,
life’s problems are seen as originating from the spiritual realm. Put differently, the origin of all problems
is spiritual, and consequently, the answer has to be supernatural.
9
The popularity of the Pentecostal
charismatic is echoed by Togarasei who notes that large numbers of congregants sit in on these churches
from various corners of the country and beyond in search of healing.
10
Many come to receive healing from
all sorts of ailments, and this will certainly include addictions.
According to Reid, Harper and Anderson, sexual addiction, also known as hyper-sexual behaviour,
refers to an intense focus on sexual fantasies, urges, or any sexual behaviour which appears to circumvent
human control.
11
Examples of such behaviours include excessive masturbation, pornography dependence,
protracted promiscuity, multiple extradyadic relationships, excessive online sexual pursuits, solicitation
of sex workers or the use of escort services, strip clubs, or other venues associated with the adult
entertainment industry, and telephone sex.
12
Perhaps similar to any other addiction, sexual addiction
assumes the form of a recurring, semi-chronic sexual disorder characterised by persistent sexual
stimulation that continues despite significant negative outcomes.
13
Buffel states that since the church is
the embodiment of solutions, clergy from diverse populations have reported being asked for counsel on
matters such as sexual abuse, infidelity, sexual problems between marital partners, pornography, sexual
offences, sex education, masturbation, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual identity.
14
He further
comments that some pastors, interestingly yet not surprisingly, indicate that they feel less confident about
3
Vhumani Magezi, “History and Developments of Pastoral Care in Africa: A Survey and Proposition for Effective Contextual Pastoral
Caregiving,” HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 75, no. 4 (November 29, 2019), 3. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i4.5423.
4
Chisale and Buffel, “The Culturally Gendered Pastoral Care Model of Women Caring for Refugee Girls in a Context of HIV/AIDS,” 297.
5
Gladys Ganiel, “Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in South Africa and Zimbabwe: A Review,” Religion Compass 4, no. 3 (2010):
132.
6
Lovemore Togarasei, “Modern/Charismatic Pentecostalism as a Form of’religious’ Secularisation in Africa,” Studia Historiae
Ecclesiasticae 41, no. 1 (2015): 57.
7
Jonathan Kangwa, “The Role of the Theology of Retribution in the Growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in Africa,” Verbum et
Ecclesia 37, no. 1 (March 31, 2016),4. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v37i1.1542.
8
Kangwa, “The Role of the Theology of Retribution in the Growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in Africa,” 7.
9
Kangwa, “The Role of the Theology of Retribution in the Growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in Africa,” 4.
10
Togarasei, “Modern/Charismatic Pentecostalism as a Form of’religious’ Secularisation in Africa,” 60.
11
Rory C Reid, James M Harper, and Emily H Anderson, “Coping Strategies Used by Hypersexual Patients to Defend against the Painful
Effects of Shame,” Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice 16, no. 2 (2009): 125–38.
12
Reid, Harper, and Anderson, “Coping Strategies Used by Hypersexual Patients to Defend against the Painful Effects of Shame,” 126.
13
David J Ley, The Myth of Sex Addiction (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012); Aviel Goodman, Sexual Addiction: An Integrated
Approach. (International Universities Press, Inc, 1998).
14
O.A. Buffel, “ A Pastoral Journey Wrapped up in Grace: Pastoral Counselling with Sexual Addicts in an African Context.,” Testamentum
Imperium: An International Theological Journal 3 (2011).
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1613
addressing sexual issues in comparison to other types of problems they are often consulted about.
15
Such
acknowledgement points to the concerning reality that the topic of sexual addictions continues to pose
serious challenges among societies and is in need of urgent attention.
Thus, through a review of relevant literature and observations, this paper provides a helpful
framework for pastoral care providers to navigate the topic of sexual addictions during their caregiving
sessions. The findings are presented in subsequent sections.
METHODOLOGY
This paper combines literature reviews and observations to investigate the possibilities of developing
guidelines that pastoral carers can employ in addressing the challenges faced by those dealing with sexual
addictions. To achieve this, firstly a definition is provided of sexual addictions as presented in the available
literature. Secondly, the focus will be on Biblical sexual addictions and thirdly, on Christianity and sexual
addictions. An understanding of pastoral care in relation to sexual addictions will be discussed. Ways to
discuss the problem of sexual addiction in the context of religion will be identified and, by extension, this
sets the stage for problematising it in the context of pastoral caregiving. Finally, the possible shortcomings
in the current interventions are highlighted and guidelines are proposed that can be of assistance within
the South African context. Attempting to offer solutions to such shortcomings, an overview is presented
of globally recognised interventions as a guideline for the South African clergy in general, but for those
within the Pentecostal charismatic churches in particular.
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Sexual Addiction
The term “sexual addiction”, although still not common, is starting to be mentioned alongside other
common addictions such as alcohol and substance abuse.
16
Buffel defines sexual addiction as the
behaviour of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive and/or an obsession with sex.
17
This
definition relates well with Herkov’s view that the best way to describe sexual addiction is as a
continuously growing disorder characterised by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts.
18
To add to this, and
with more specificity, Weiss defines it as a sick engrossment with daydreaming about sex, many at times
with the intention to pursue casual or sexual relations without any intimate relations, pornographic content,
compulsive masturbation, intense romance and treatment of the sex mate as an object spanning for a period
of no less than six months.
19
The underlying factor with addictions, including sexual addictions, is the
inability to stop despite negative consequences. There is also a certain level of distress associated with
efforts to stop or when prevented from engaging in the behaviour. According to Griffin-Shelley, the word
‘addict’ has a Latin root, ad dictum, which means “to the dictator.”
20
This defines addiction as enslavement
and the example of slave and slave master is used as an analogy, meaning that if an individual is addicted
to a person, whiskey, sex workers, or cigarettes, they feel that they have no choice and are powerless to
stop. They cannot get the person or thing off their mind and they are somehow its slave. Those who are
addicted to sex are under its control, and according to this definition, have become slaves to it (Rom. 6:16-
18). In addition, according to the same scripture, those that sexual addiction rules are unable to break free
from it without the help of God, who is able to turn their slavery to sin into slavery to righteousness. Prof.
Elna McIntosh, sexologist and sexual health practitioner, as cited in Makgalemele, highlights the
dysfunctionality of sexual addictions and mentions that “sexual obsessions and compulsions are recurrent,
distressing and interfere with daily functioning.”
21
Thus, addicts’ lives are literally consumed by their
15
Buffel, “ A Pastoral Journey Wrapped up in Grace: Pastoral Counselling with Sexual Addicts in an African Context,” 2.
16
Frederico Duarte Garcia and Florence Thibaut, “Sexual Addictions,” The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 36, no. 5 (2010):
254–60; Laurent Karila et al., “Sexual Addiction or Hypersexual Disorder: Different Terms for the Same Problem? A Review of the
Literature,” Current Pharmaceutical Design 20, no. 25 (2014): 4012–20.
17
Buffel, “ A Pastoral Journey Wrapped up in Grace: Pastoral Counselling with Sexual Addicts in an African Context,” 7.
18
M. Herkov, “ What Is Sexual Addiction?,” 2006, http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-sexual-addictions/000748.
19
R. Weiss, “Hypersexuality: Symptoms of Sexual Addiction,” Psych Central, 2012, http://psychcentral.com/lib/hypersexuality-
symptoms-of-sexual addiction/00011488.
20
E. Griffin-Shelley, Sex and Love: Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (Praeger Publishers., 1991), 6.
21
T. Makgalemele, “When Sex Becomes an Addiction,” Saturday Star, April 1, 2006.
Phalatsi-Shilubana, M. / E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Vol.5 No.8(2024) pp 1611-1626
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1614
desire to get a fix. It may therefore actually be disruptive and lead to an inability to perform other tasks
optimally, such as work, interact with family and friends, etc.
Due to the multiplicity in the manifestation of sexual addiction, it stands to reason that any lay
person might have difficulty in ascertaining whether it is indeed sexual addiction or not. This is supported
by Kwee, Dominguez and Ferrel, who argue that sexual addiction is a disorder that is real but with a lack
of diagnostic clarity.
22
Additionally, Laaser asserts that sexual addiction has existed for centuries and has
been misnamed, mistreated, ignored, or completely undiagnosed.
23
Besides the inability to stop, the
progressiveness of the disorder and the obsession or preoccupation with sex and related activities over
time is the other common threads found with addictive behaviours. Carnes explains that for sexual addicts,
an addictive experience progresses through a four-step cycle that intensifies with each repetition:
• Preoccupation - the trance or mood in which the addict’s mind is wholly absorbed by thoughts that
are sexual;
• Ritualisation - the addict’s own special routines which lead up to the sexual behaviour;
• Compulsive sexual behaviour - the actual sexual act, which is the end goal of the preoccupation
and ritualisation; and
• Despair - the feeling of utter hopelessness an addict has concerning his or her behaviour and
powerlessness.
24
The following diagram represents what Carnes terms the addictive cycle.
25
The same information
has been modified by others, for example, the manual from Living Waters Canada on Pursuing Relational
and Sexual Wholeness in Christ and Edger; however, the concept basically remains the same.
26
There is
consensus that the addictive cycle starts with pre-occupation and ends with despair, leading to shame and
the resolve to stop. For the purposes of this article, the adapted diagram is presented as indicated in the
Falling Forward manual.
27
Figure 1: The addictive cycle (Adapted from Carnes)
28
22
Amy W Dominguez, Donald Ferrell, and W A Kwee, “Sexual Addiction and Christian College Men: Conceptual, Assessment, and
Treatment Challenges,” J Psychol Christ 26 (2007): 3.
23
M. R. Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2004), 15.
24
Patrick Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction (Hazelden Publishing, 2001).
25
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction.
26
Living Waters Canada, “ Training Manual on Pursuing Relational and Sexual Wholeness in Christ.,” 2010; Kailla Edger,
“Evangelicalism, Sexual Morality, and Sexual Addiction: Opposing Views and Continued Conflicts,” Journal of Religion and Health 51,
no. 1 (2012): 162–78.
27
C.R. Lockwood, Falling Forward. The Pursuit of Sexual Purity ( Desert Stream Press, 2000), 29.
28
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction.
Sexual
pressure/Pre-
occupation
Acting
out/Ritualization
Sex act/Sexual
compulsivity
Guilt/Despair
New
shame
The resolution
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1615
Biblical Sexual Addictions
The Bible as the word of God and all that people experience also has examples of sexually dysfunctional
behaviours recorded in it. Some references may not be as exact as they are defined now, but inferences
can be made from them. For example, the Book of Samuel records the story of King David and Bathsheba.
Instead of going to battle with his soldiers, as was the practice and expectation, King David chose to stay
at home and sent his commander to lead (2 Sam. 11:1-18). The Bible records that one evening he got up
from his bed, walked on his roof and saw a woman bathing (2 Sam. 11:2). Garland and Garland confirm
that David sent his men to war while staying home and directing the battle from the comfort of his home,
strolling on his rooftop in the cool air and beholding the scene below.
29
Upon enquiry, he was informed it
was Bathsheba, who was already married to Uriah, the Hittite. The fact that she was married did not stop
David from asking for her to be brought in and lying with her. The latter action led to her falling pregnant
and in an attempt to hide his sin, he had Uriah killed. The story has been the focus of many scholars and
interpreted from many angles. For example, for some, this story is about rape. Ijeoma asserts that
Bathsheba had no choice; she was taken forcefully to meet the King, who then exercised his sexual desires
by having sexual relations with her.
30
For others, it is about the abuse of power and authority. Garland and
Garland mention that Bathsheba became a casualty of David’s authority, who was meant to lead his
31
people, but instead abused his power.
In the context of sexual addictions and the addictive cycle, David’s preoccupation with sex could
be one of the reasons he did not go to war. Spring was known as a time when kings went to war. This
notion is well captured by Creasy who records that: “In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war,
David sent Joab and the king’s men and all Israel and they destroyed the Ammonites and they besieged
Rabbah.”
32
Garland and Garland also point out that in springtime, it is acknowledged, that the desire for
sensual pleasures increases.
33
However, in keeping with Jewish laws around sexual relations between
husband and wife, engagement in sexual relations at a time of communal distress such as famine or war
is forbidden, as that is another way a person consecrates self from the suffering of their people.
34
Heschmeyer notes that the Old Testament describes three types of people who are called to celibacy:
priests preparing for sacrifice, people preparing to receive a message from God, and soldiers preparing for
battle.
35
The author further writes that celibacy is a way to spiritually prepare for combat, just as much as
it is spiritual preparation for the offering of the Temple sacrifice. Abstinence during a war is modelled by
Uriah who, even when given an opportunity to be sexually intimate with Bathsheba, refused in solidarity
with others who were sleeping in tents and the ark of the Lord that was in the open fields (2 Sam. 11).
On the contrary, despite being the king, the pressure David felt to fulfil his desire seemed to matter
more than anything else. This is supported by Nicol, who argues that the king acted quickly and decisively
to satisfy his lust and had no regard for the marital status of the woman.
36
In addition, Garland and Garland
assert that Bathsheba was the eroticised object of the king’s lustful thoughts and daydreaming as he had
no idea who this beautiful lady was, thus indicating they were strangers.
37
As a king, he could have had
any woman he desired, as David had countless children born from different women, and he could therefore
not have been sexually starved.
38
To this end, Ijeoma notes that David had a number of females at his
disposal, yet he laid hold of another man’s wife to satisfy his sexual desires.
39
David’s preoccupation with
the woman he saw from his rooftop was initiated by finding out who the woman was, and discovering her
marital status did not in any way stop him. In fact, Nicol notes that after he had seen her cleansing herself,
29
David E Garland and Diana R Garland, “Bathsheba’s Story: Surviving Abuse and Loss,” Family and Community Ministries, 2007, 22.
30
Sokwaibe Queen Ijeoma, “King David’s ‘Power Rape’and Punishment; An Exegical Study Of 2samuel 11: 1-27,” IGWEBUIKE: African
Journal of Arts and Humanities 7, no. 3 (2021), 168.
31
Garland and Garland, “Bathsheba’s Story: Surviving Abuse and Loss,” 24.
32
Bill Creasy, “The Story of King David,” 2021, 9.
33
Garland and Garland, “Bathsheba’s Story: Surviving Abuse and Loss,” 22.
34
Hannah Rockman, “Sex Shmex—as Long as You Love Your Wife: A Review of the Laws and Guidelines Regarding Sexual Behaviour
among Orthodox Jews,” Sexual and Marital Therapy 8, no. 3 (1993): 265.
35
J. Heschmeyer, Celibacy for War, 2015, . www.shamelesspopery.com.
36
George G. Nicol, “David, Abigail and Bathsheba, Nab Al and Uriah: Transformations within a Triangle,” Scandinavian Journal of the
Old Testament 12, no. 1 (January 1998): 137, https://doi.org/10.1080/09018329808585131.
37
Garland and Garland, “Bathsheba’s Story: Surviving Abuse and Loss,” 24.
38
Maciej Basiuk, “King David’s Fatherhood–the Bright and Dark Sides,” Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia, no. 4 (2018), 454.
39
Ijeoma, “King David’s ‘Power Rape’and Punishment; An Exegical Study Of 2samuel 11: 1-27,” 166.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1616
David is said to have asked more about Bathsheba's identity and to have received detailed information
concerning her marital status.
40
This is despite possible consequences that would follow when it became
known that he had slept with another man’s wife. These would include the shame associated with this sin
and, worse, death as mentioned in Leviticus (20:10-12) which reads: "If a man commits adultery with
another man's wife, even with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and adulteress must be put to
death”. Garland and Garland note that David’s watching roused the sexual craving which led to him
pursuing her and eventually taking action to satisfy his craving to lay with her.
41
Creasy writes that King David did not only “take” another man’s wife, but he also betrayed his
own officer.
42
David could have stopped at any of the previous steps of the addiction cycle, but, just like
a typical addict, the desire to commit the sexual act superseded all rational thinking. This is in line with
the definition by Aghamiri and Luetz of sexual addiction as preoccupations with sexual thoughts and
behaviours that interrupt the individual’s life and cannot be discontinued even when faced with negative
consequences.
43
Although no mention is made of how he felt afterward, the Bible records that he sent her
away after she was purified. According to Ijeoma, sending her back shows that the King had no marital
intentions or love towards her.
44
When Bathsheba informed him that she was pregnant, David had Uriah
return from the war in an unsuccessful attempt to have him sleep with his wife so that the adultery might
be covered up, thus covering the shame of sleeping with her and the resultant pregnancy.
45
When his plan
to obscure the issue of paternity was frustrated by Uriah's refusal to sleep with his wife, David sent his
death sentence to Joab by the victim's own hand.
46
The shame of sleeping with Bathsheba bred even more
shame and led to further sin. This is no surprise, as Edger mentions that sexual addictions find their root
in shame, and the secrecy that follows creates an environment in which sexual addictions thrive in this
cycle.
47
Contrary to the narrative of most addicts, upon confrontation with Prophet Nathan (2 Sam. 12)
and the subsequent illness and death of the child born to Bathsheba, David sincerely turned away from his
transgression and God forgave him. Rutherford writes that the narrative in 2 Samuel 12 paints David as
truly repentant and truly pious.
48
This is evidenced by the fact that the child born thereafter, Solomon, is
loved by God, and through the mouth of Prophet Nathan God names him Jedidiah (2 Sam. 12:25). No
other mention of David falling into the same sin is recorded in the Bible again, and it can be assumed that
David managed through the counsel of Prophet Nathan to break free from his inability to control his sexual
drive and gained favour from God.
Religion and Sexuality
The two concepts of religion and sexuality are an inherent and important part of humanity and cannot be
divorced from human existence. Leeming notes that from the beginning of human history, religion, and
sexuality have shared certain characteristics.
49
History shows a confusing variety of religions, cults, sects,
denominational developments and spiritual movements of every sort.
50
Combined, the world's religions
are a reflection of the geographic, social and linguistic diversity of the planet itself. Due to its complexity
and its multidimensional construct, it is almost impossible to capture the essence of what religion is within
a single definition. The diversity of religions precludes them from being branches of a single tree, and
thus, no single definition of religion seems possible.
51
Sanjakdar defines religion as a system of beliefs
and practices concerning the supernatural realm, the ‘doing of’ religion (religiosity) and can entail reading
scriptures, ruminating on the possibilities of being, negotiating spaces in and between the sacred and the
40
Nicol, “David, Abigail and Bathsheba, Nab Al and Uriah: Transformations within a Triangle,” 137.
41
Garland and Garland, “Bathsheba’s Story: Surviving Abuse and Loss,” 24.
42
Creasy, “The Story of King David,” 10.
43
Fakri Seyed Aghamiri and Johannes M Luetz, “Sexual Addiction and Christian Education,” in Innovating Christian Education Research:
Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Springer, 2021), 444.
44
Ijeoma, “King David’s ‘Power Rape’and Punishment; An Exegical Study Of 2samuel 11: 1-27,” 169.
45
Nicol, “David, Abigail and Bathsheba, Nab Al and Uriah: Transformations within a Triangle,”134.
46
Nicol, “David, Abigail and Bathsheba, Nab Al and Uriah: Transformations within a Triangle,”134.
47
Edger, “Evangelicalism, Sexual Morality, and Sexual Addiction: Opposing Views and Continued Conflicts,” 165.
48
J. Alexander Rutherford, “The Rhetoric Of Repentance A Literary Reading Of The Rebuke And Restoration Of David In 2 Samuel 11:
27-12: 25,” 2017.
49
David Leeming, "Religion and sexuality:The perversion of a natural marriage." Journal of Religion and Health 42 (2003): 101.
50
Thomas A Idinopulos, “What Is Religion?,” CrossCurrents, 1998, 366.
51
Idinopulos, “What Is Religion?” 370.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1617
secular, to attending a church or a mosque or a temple.
52
Thus, each religion is conceived and practised
differently as informed by its beliefs.
Van Tongeren, Newbound and Johnson describe religion as a multifarious establishment with
many duties, including providing understandable moral guidelines for behaviour and it functions to
provide a set of ethically accepted values to guide interpersonal and intergroup behaviour.
53
Therefore,
religious beliefs and practices form an important resource when discussing human sexuality.
54
This is not
without cause as, according to Langer religion shapes sexual values with sacred law that articulates a range
of acceptable sexual behaviours and practices.
55
In addition, Ojo notes that a religious group may use
societal values as its reference point or may resort to internal dynamics or an agenda of renewal in deciding
how to regulate sexual behaviour.
56
Sexuality is as broad and diverse as humanity and is experienced and understood in varied ways.
Its expression in how human beings think, what they think about and what is practised in relation to it is
just as different. Grebe and Drea note that human sexuality is most broadly defined as the totality of
experiences, systems, attributes and behaviour that characterise the sexual sensation, reproduction and
intimacy of Homo sapiens.
57
A broader definition is provided by Macleod and McCabe as the central
aspect of being human throughout life that encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual
orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction.
58
They further note that sexuality is influenced
by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, legal, historical,
religious and spiritual factors.
59
In addition, according to Langer, societal values, personal experiences,
families, peers, media, religion, law and government all influence sexuality, gender roles and sexual
behaviours.
60
It therefore makes sense that as changes occur in the different spheres of life, human
sexuality also metamorphosises. For instance, unlike previously, when matters relating to sexuality were
not openly discussed and available, today the media is flooded with content that challenges previously
held beliefs and introduces other discussion that questions the very societal systems that influence how
sexuality is perceived and experienced.
Both sexual and spiritual wholeness are intricately connected with a fully embodied life.
61
In
numerous faith traditions around the world, sexuality and spirituality are essential parts of everyday living.
The two are also intertwined, as in the opinion of Van Tongeren et al., religion clearly explicates a code
of values that those who subscribe to should strive to uphold without fail.
62
The social context, of which
religion is part, is critical in the formation of attitudes towards sexual relations and behaviours and
influences sexual decisions.
63
Nzioka notes that religion affirms sexuality as the erotic aspect of human
existence that is present in all that people say and think and do, in every relationship with others and in
their relationship with God as the source of human refreshment and companionship.
64
Thus, human
sexuality, and especially its expression, is hugely influenced by the beliefs and values associated with
religion. The following section specifically focuses on Christianity and its impact, or lack thereof, on the
understanding of sexual addictions and on humanity.
52
Fida Sanjakdar, “Can Difference Make a Difference? A Critical Theory Discussion of Religion in Sexuality Education,” Discourse:
Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 39, no. 3 (May 4, 2018): 395, https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2016.1272546.
53
Daryl R Van Tongeren, Hanna Newbound, and Evan Johnson, “The Interactive Effects of Religiosity and Priming Religion Following
Recall of a Values Violation,” Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 23, no. 2–3 (2016): 211–24.
54
Sanjakdar, “Can Difference Make a Difference? A Critical Theory Discussion of Religion in Sexuality Education,” 395.
55
Nieli Langer, “Late Life Love and Intimacy,” Educational Gerontology 35, no. 8 (2009): 755.
56
Matthews A Ojo, “Religion and Sexuality: Individuality, Choice and Sexual Rights in Nigerian Christianity,” in Understanding Human
Sexuality Seminar Series, vol. 4 (Citeseer, 2005), 2.
57
Nicholas M. Grebe and Christine M. Drea, “Human Sexuality,” in Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (Cham: Springer
International Publishing, 2018), 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3360-1.
58
Ashley Macleod and Marita P McCabe, “Defining Sexuality in Later Life: A Systematic Review,” Australasian Journal on Ageing 39
(2020): 6.
59
Macleod and McCabe, “Defining Sexuality in Later Life: A Systematic Review,” 6.
60
Langer, “Late Life Love and Intimacy,” 755.
61
Yolanda Turner and William Stayton, “The Twenty-First Century Challenges to Sexuality and Religion,” Journal of Religion and Health
53, no. 2 (2014): 488.
62
Van Tongeren, Newbound, and Johnson, “The Interactive Effects of Religiosity and Priming Religion Following Recall of a Values
Violation,” 212.
63
Sanjakdar, “Can Difference Make a Difference? A Critical Theory Discussion of Religion in Sexuality Education,” 402.
64
Jeremiah Ngundo Nzioka, “A Biblical and Theological View on Human Sexuality: A Case Study of Selected Churches in Nairobi,”
European Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion 6, no. 1 (2022): 20.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1618
Christianity and Sexual Addictions
Christianity is a worldwide religion, with followers from all over the world from diverse backgrounds.
65
Christian beliefs and practices are reflected in how interactions are defined. For example, for most
Christians marriage is between male and female (Gen. 1:27;) and sexual relationship is confined within a
marriage relationship (Mal. 2:14; 1 Cori. 7:1-2). In relation to sexual relations, Ash notes that the
emphasis in Genesis 1 is on procreation to fulfil the task of dominion.
66
In addition, he asserts that sex is
for the purpose of having children so that these children will share with humanity the privilege and task
of caring for God’s world. Ojo mentions that traditional Christian theology maintains that sexuality is part
of the creation and that it is fundamental to the human experience and Christian identity.
67
In the same
vein, Bacchiocchi asserts that during much of Christian history, sex has been condoned as a necessary evil
for producing children and that other considerations, such as the unitive, relational and pleasurable aspects
of sex, have been seen as secondary and usually tainted with sin.
68
Limiting sexual relations to procreation
is not only problematic, but it fails to take some of life’s realities into consideration. In fact, Benagiano
and Mori indicate that the primacy of reproduction is vastly overemphasised, and the insistence on
procreation as the end-all of human sexuality is inherently misguided.
69
The reality of current times is that
not all couples are able to bear children and others do not wish to procreate. Bacchiocchi rightly mentions
that old age, infertility and genetic diseases are but some of the factors that make childbearing impossible
or inadvisable.
70
To ascribe sexual relations to procreation is not only limited, but it fails to acknowledge that God
also intended it for relational purposes. Bacchiocchi indicates that despite early Christians’ association of
sex with procreation, in the last hundred years, a revolution has taken place in Christian thinking about
sex which has somehow affected their perception, and as a consequence the order has reversed with
Christians in the twentieth century placing the relational and pleasurable aspects of sex first and the
conception of children last.
71
This is because, according to Mohler, sexual pleasure is not an unplanned
occurrence of human physiology, instead it is one of the Creator’s sweetest gifts to human beings.
72
Additionally, he asserts that the promise of sexual pleasure and satisfaction is to draw us into the marital
covenant, and then the shared joy of physical union is a vital part of the marital bond.
73
Bacchiocchi
explains that the phrase becoming one flesh (Gen. 2:24) sheds considerable light on God’s view of sex
within a marital relationship.
74
It shows that God perceives sexual intercourse as a means through which
a husband and a wife can be unified, but also implies that the purpose of the sexual act is not only
procreational, that is, to produce children, but also psychological, that is, the emotional need to
consummate a new oneness-relationship. Joined to each other within this monogamous contract, the man
and the woman may be naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25).
75
It is thus critical that Christians bring back
to normal positions and nurture the Biblical balance between the relational and procreational functions of
sexual activity.
Although sexual relations are beautiful and God-ordained for both procreation and relational
purposes, there are instances where perceptions held as influenced by one’s beliefs can lead to unhealthy
practices. Bacchiocchi accuses Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), also known as Saint Augustine, as the
main advocate among other Christian church fathers who moulded the negative attitudes toward sex in
general, particularly as he considered sin to be the main cause of uncontrollable sexual urges and
fantasies.
76
In addition, he notes that Augustine’s association of original sin with sex has been widely
65
Todd M Johnson and Sandra S Kim, “Describing the Worldwide Christian Phenomenon,” International Bulletin of Missionary Research
29, no. 2 (2005): 80–84.
66
Christopher Ash, “Christianity and Sexuality,” Deerfield, Carl FH Henry Center for Theological Understanding, 2009, 10.
67
Ojo, “Religion and Sexuality: Individuality, Choice and Sexual Rights in Nigerian Christianity,” 5.
68
Samuele Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 2000.
69
Giuseppe Benagiano and Maurizio Mori, “The Origins of Human Sexuality: Procreation or Recreation?,” Reproductive BioMedicine
Online 18 (2009): 53.
70
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 9.
71
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 9.
72
R. A. Mohler, “The Bible on Sex–The Way to Happiness and Holiness,” 2004.
73
Mohler, “The Bible on Sex–The Way to Happiness and Holiness,” 1.
74
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 9.
75
Mohler, “The Bible on Sex–The Way to Happiness and Holiness,” 1.
76
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 6.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1619
accepted throughout Christian history, conditioning the sexual attitudes not only of Roman Catholics but
also of Christians in general.
77
The reason for this influence maintains Langer, is that in the Judeo-
Christian tradition, the Old and New Testament forbidding against sexuality in both its specific and general
forms have proven to be extraordinarily powerful forces.
78
According to Bacchiocchi, the adoption of the
unbiblical Greek notion of the human body as intrinsically evil has led many Christians through the
centuries to have a warped attitude toward sex.
79
Its effect still lingers, as many today are still uneasy
about their marital sexual relations, viewing them as something tainted with sin.
80
Langer is of the opinion
that these views and prohibitions have demanded, or at best justified, repression of sexual thought and
conduct, thus providing heavy burdens of guilt and shame [especially about nakedness, masturbation and
homosexuality].
81
For the sexual addict, the negative narrative toward sexual relations adds to their
struggle. For a sexual addict, an act of masturbation that may be perceived as normal by others may be
viewed by him or her as shameful and thus hidden. Arens asserts that when taking into consideration the
distinctive role of shame in the causation of sexual addictions and the additional enormous feelings of
shame that acting out causes for the addict, a moralistic approach that increases feelings of shame and
enhances the pressure for silence and secrecy is detrimental.
82
When it comes to providing support and
care to the sexual addict, there is a need to confront the shame associated with it and the pastoral carer
must bring hope and be the support needed to overcome the addiction. This is more important as, although
sexuality is one of God’s good gifts, and provenance of human happiness, once practiced outside its
intended context of marital fidelity, it has the potential to cause more harm to humanity.
83
Pentecostal Churches and Sexual Addiction
Pentecostal charismatic churches are amongst the largest groupings of believers globally, and Adogame
asserts that the Pentecostal and charismatic movements represent some of the most popular and fastest-
growing religious movements within contemporary world Christianity, estimated at over five hundred
million adherents worldwide.
84
In relation to the African continent, Ganiel reports that Pentecostal
charismatic Christians make up 12 percent of the population of the African continent.
85
In fact, Lindhardt
argues that Pentecostal charismatic Christianity has moved from previously on the outskirts position to a
force to be seriously considered within African Christianity and sub-Saharan African societies in
general.
86
The presence and beliefs and practices of these churches have also not been without
controversy, globally and particularly in Africa. According to Ganiel, Pentecostal charismatic pastors take
advantage of the vulnerable, taking resources from them with the promise of restoring their health.
87
She
further notes that those who emphasise supernaturalism are abdicating their responsibilities to think and
act for themselves. The latter is associated with Pentecostal charismatics and their emphasis on the impact
of spirituality on life in general.
In recent times, South Africans have watched on different social media platforms in disbelief as
different leaders of these churches have used unconventional practices to convey their spiritual powers.
Amongst these practices are feeding people with snakes, grass, petrol and pesticides as part of spiritual
healing and fighting demonic spirits.
88
At the time of writing this article, there were ongoing court cases
77
Samuele Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 2000, 7.
78
Langer, “Late Life Love and Intimacy,” 755.
79
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex.
80
Bacchiocchi, A Biblical View of Sex, 6.
81
Langer, “Late Life Love and Intimacy,” 755.
82
Johannes Arens, “Bound to Shame: Sexual Addiction and Christian Ethics” (Durham University, 2011), 201.
83
R. A. Mohler, “The Bible on Sex–The Way to Happiness and Holiness,” 2004, 2.
84
Afe Adogame, “Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in a Global Perspective,” The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of
Religion, 2010, 498.
85
Ganiel, “Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in South Africa and Zimbabwe: A Review,” 132.
86
Martin Lindhardt, “Introduction: Presence and Impact of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity in Africa,” in Pentecostalism in Africa
(Brill, 2015), 1–53.
87
Ganiel, “Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in South Africa and Zimbabwe: A Review,” 134.
88
Goitsemang Matlhabe, “‘Prophet’ Makes Congregants Eat Snakes,” IOL, July 14, 2015, https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-
africa/gauteng/prophet-makes-congregants-eat-snakes-1885321; Mookgo S Kgatle, “The Unusual Practices within Some Neo-Pentecostal
Churches in South Africa: Reflections and Recommendations,” HTS: Theological Studies 73, no. 3 (2017): 1–8; Joel Mokhoathi and Nasila
S Rembe, “Religious Liberties and the Constitution of South Africa: A Call for Religious Accountability,” Scriptura: Journal for
Contextual Hermeneutics in Southern Africa 116, no. 1 (2017): 1–10...
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1620
against the Nigerian-born pastor, Timothy Omotoso of the Jesus Dominion International church, charged
with allegations of sexual assault, human trafficking and racketeering,
89
and the Malawian-born
multimillionaire pastor of the Enlightened Christian Gathering church, Shepherd Bushiri, and his wife,
charged with fraud and money laundering.
90
Also recent was the video clip that went viral of the
Congolese-born pastor Alph Lukau, in which he claimed to have just prayed and managed to bring a dead
man lying in a coffin back to life. Charges of sexual assault and rape against the leader of the Rivers of
Living Waters Bishop Zondo are being heard in a court of law in South Africa.
91
Although there are cases
of sexual assault before the courts, there is a claim that many more go unreported due to the fear people
have that these leaders have special powers and are able to pronounce curses upon those who dare report
them. Sometimes these very acts of sexual exploitation are done under the pretence of providing healing
relating to infertility, etc. In the context of sexual addiction, the abdication of responsibilities and
apportionment of blame to forces outside of one’s control provides the perfect excuse for not seeking help.
In Africa, and by implication in South Africa, cultural practices and phrases that support multiple
partners have led to acts of sexual compulsivity going untreated. Monna ke selepe wa adimanwa, loosely
translated as ‘a man is an axe, he is borrowed from house to house’, implies that just as an axe does not
lose its sharpness, men too do not lose their prowess. Phrases such as this are used to justify the adulterous
behaviour of men in some African contexts. Familusi mentions that when it comes to extramarital sexual
affairs, the rules apply differently to husbands and wives with an expectation that the woman remains
faithful no matter what and is further expected to remain calm when their husbands has been found to
have cheated on them.
92
The practice within the church is in most instances similar, and improper sexual
behaviours are at times covered in secrecy. In fact, Del Villar Tagle, referring to the reaction to sexual
abuse, indicates that we have been taught to carry our cross in silence and forgive those who transgress
against us unconditionally, just as Jesus is said to have done.
93
As indicated previously in this article, what may start as not so improper, if not dealt with, can
progress to sexual addiction and abuse within the church. The enormity of some of the cases in the media
and the number of victims is a clear indication of the addict’s inability to stop despite the possible
consequences. Although the reported cases within the Pentecostal church and those in the public eye
involve the pastors, ordinary church members cannot be ruled out from the same challenges that face their
spiritual leaders. This is because sexual addiction knows no social standing, gender, race, or even
religiosity. Unfortunately, those who struggle with sexual addiction are afraid to seek help within the
church. Thornton reports that Pentecostalism teaches that once sanctified, believers assume that spiritually
they are no longer of this world where those who don’t believe exist.
94
He also notes that the authoritative
injunction against acting on sexual desires is especially difficult for men to embrace and is among the
more challenging demands of faith that male converts claim to confront.
95
The inability to acknowledge
that sexual addiction is a reality serves as a hindrance to seeking the truth and in fact disregards Mark 2:17
as the gospel truth.
Pastoral Care and Sexual Addictions
Although the topic of sexual addictions has received reasonable attention within the pastoral care
framework, it continues to be considered taboo by most Christian believers and some pastors equally.
This, however, does not negate the fact that pastors are still confronted by and expected in some instances
89
Mookgo S Kgatle and Maria Frahm-Arp, “Abuse, Power and Discourse in the Public Trial of Timothy Omotoso,” Verbum et Ecclesia
43, no. 1 (2022): 2270; Hulisani Ramantswana, “Wathint’umfazi, Wathint’imbokodo, Uzakufa [You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock,
You Will Die]: Dinah and Tamar as Rape Protestors,” HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 75, no. 1 (2019).
90
Thabang R Mofokeng, “‘The Weird You Shall Always Have’: A Historical Look into the Causative Factors behind Neo-Prophetic
Scandals in South Africa,” in The Use and Abuse of the Spirit in Pentecostalism (Routledge, 2020), 24–52.
91
Sandisele L Xhinti and Hundzukani P Khosa-Nkatini, “Black Women’s Bodies as Sacrificial Lambs at the Altar,” HTS Teologiese
Studies/Theological Studies 79, no. 1 (2023): 7940.
92
Olumuyiwa O Familusi, “African Culture and the Status of Women: The Yoruba Example,” The Journal of Pan African Studies 5, no. 1
(2012): 304.
93
María Soledad Del Villar Tagle, “The Victims of Abuse in Ecclesiastical Contexts as a Theological Place. Moving from Silence and
Concealment to Words and Recognition.,” Concilium (00105236), no. 4 (2023), 71.
94
Brendan Jamal Thornton, “Victims of Illicit Desire: Pentecostal Men of God and the Specter of Sexual Temptation,” Anthropological
Quarterly, 2018, 138.
95
Thornton, “Victims of Illicit Desire: Pentecostal Men of God and the Specter of Sexual Temptation,” 140.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1621
to journey with congregants who have concerns relating to sexual challenges. Turner and Stayton point
out that most pastors know they are completely not ready to assist their congregants and numerous
recognise they have not genuinely explored those relations for themselves.
96
Additionally, clergy realise
they lack the knowledge and understanding, or equipment to be effective counsellors or address the
underlying or interwoven spiritual nature of the congregants’ concerns.
97
The clergy’s unpreparedness
does not in any way mean that the church is precluded from providing direction and care. In fact, Nzioka
emphasises that the church has a responsibility to offer solutions and to shine a light in these dark times,
particularly in helping congregants and society at large in overcoming sexual perversions, addictions and
the abuse of human sexuality.
98
Turner and Stayton argue that despite the lack of knowledge, there is a
generalised desire among the clergy for ways to engage their congregations about the gift of sexuality and
to incorporate sexual concerns and issues into the life, study and worship of their congregations.
99
By
being open and willing to listen to those who struggle with sexual addictions, the clergy and, by
implication, the church becomes a vehicle for providing support and care to those who need it to break
the cycle of addictions. This is in line with Nzioka who mentions that people laden with sexual problems
do not need condemning.
100
Christ did not condemn. What such people need is grace, love, and protection.
They also need the advice of the Lord Jesus: “Go and sin no more”.
Buffel thinks that it seems sexual addiction is here to remain and thus prudent that pastoral
counsellors equip themselves on the best ways of journeying together meaningfully and pastorally with
God’s people as they struggle with sexual addictions, and as they search for healing and freedom.
101
Pastoral care as a support for the sexual addict is especially critical in enabling the sexual addict to reverse
the faulty beliefs they have about themselves. This support can be from the family, the church and the
community, to name but a few. This is echoed by Magezi, who writes that within the African context, the
extended family and by implication the community, are important and play a vital role in the healing
process.
102
The importance of support is highlighted by Carnes who indicates that those who are addicted
must establish their sense of being in a community that cares and with the support, addicts can stay straight
as they struggle to make meaning of their lives.
103
Edger mentions that unfortunately people hide their
sexuality and isolate themselves from others for fear of condemnation.
104
According to Buffel, denial of
its existence, the accompanying secrecy, the shame associated with it and, in most cases, the judgemental
approach associated particularly with Christians paralyses possibilities of dealing with sexual addiction
effectively and graciously.
105
Already the perceptions that some Christians have concerning sexuality are
unhealthy, and any other sexual behaviour that is considered untoward is in most instances treated harshly.
The negative perspective of sexuality, present in utero during apostolic times among some Christians,
developed fully during the early church, shaping the sexual attitudes of Christians up to modern times.
106
Sexual addictions over a period of time affect relations with significant others not only because of the
emotional pain that it causes but also as a result of the emotional distance the addict is likely to create to
maintain the secrecy and cover the shame. Carnes maintains that one of the terrible outcomes of addiction
is the addict’s withdrawal from normal social interactions.
107
The more deeply involved in the compulsive
sexual life the addicts become, the more segregated they become from their parents, spouses and
children.
108
96
Turner and Stayton, “The Twenty-First Century Challenges to Sexuality and Religion.”
97
Turner and Stayton, “The Twenty-First Century Challenges to Sexuality and Religion,” 484.
98
Nzioka, “A Biblical and Theological View on Human Sexuality: A Case Study of Selected Churches in Nairobi,” 21.
99
Turner and Stayton, “The Twenty-First Century Challenges to Sexuality and Religion,” 484.
100
Nzioka, “A Biblical and Theological View on Human Sexuality: A Case Study of Selected Churches in Nairobi,” 22.
101
Buffel, “ A Pastoral Journey Wrapped up in Grace: Pastoral Counselling with Sexual Addicts in an African Context.”
102
Vhumani Magezi, “Community Healing and the Role of Pastoral Care of the Ill and Suffering in Africa,” In Die Skriflig 40, no. 3
(2006): 505.
103
Magezi, “History and Developments of Pastoral Care in Africa: A Survey and Proposition for Effective Contextual Pastoral
Caregiving.”
104
Edger, “Evangelicalism, Sexual Morality, and Sexual Addiction: Opposing Views and Continued Conflicts,” 165
105
Buffel, “ A Pastoral Journey Wrapped up in Grace: Pastoral Counselling with Sexual Addicts in an African Context,” 8.
106
Samuele Bacchiocchi, “A Biblical View Of Sex,” 2000, 5.
107
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, 13.
108
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, 13.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1622
Proposed Framework and Guidelines
Provision of the needed support for the sexual addict to find normality, several strategies or interventions
are employed. One such intervention is called “Promise Keepers” which is gender specific and focuses on
men. Edger explains that Promise Keepers hold men accountable for their behaviours, encourage
communication within their marriages and stress accountability as a key factor in the forgiveness of sexual
sin.
109
He further explains that men meet in “accountability groups” to discuss their issues with other men
and are required to answer to their group about resolving their identified issues. Donovan notes that
Promise Keepers’ writings on prayer and sexual purity aim to help men overcome daily problems of
practice as they attempt to act on a new model of masculinity.
110
He further adds that much of the advice
depicts wives as the beneficiaries of Christ-like masculinity; men should compliment and show respect to
their wives, engage in spiritual explorations with them and remain faithful to them in mind and practice.
The approach’s strength is that it supports male leadership within marriage and Christ-like masculinity
which precludes men from exercising unrestrained power.
111
The challenge that can be identified in this
approach is that it assumes that only married men have sexual challenges, such as sexual addiction, and
thus need support. Its emphasis on being born again excludes men within the community who are non-
religious. It also does not seem to embrace cultural diversity of religiosity in general.
When considering the uniqueness of Africa and its strong emphasis on culture and communal life
amongst others, it is imperative that any approach take cognisance of these elements. According to
Carnes, each and every kind of uncontrollable behaviours may be knitted in the context of sexual
addiction.
112
Thus, by implication, a programme such as Twelve Steps, with some adaptations, can be
utilised successfully in dealing with sexual addiction, especially as it has been successful in treating
addictions other than the originally intended pathological behaviour, i.e. alcohol addiction. In explaining
why the Twelve Steps programme is successful, Carnes notes that while the compulsive behaviour may
differ, all share the common reality of the sexually addictive system and its destructive cycle.
113
In addition, Carnes asserts that Twelve Steps can halt or bring changes to the addictive system and
is capable of restoring the original ability to engage in meaningful relationships through the replacement
of dysfunctional or faulty beliefs in addicts and co-addicts with new beliefs.
114
The strength of the Twelve
Steps programme is that it is for both men and women who are struggling with sexual addiction, as well
as their families or significant others who are affected. The addict walks in the company of others who
have walked the journey and are still doing so. This ties in well with the assertion by Magezi when
referring to pastoral care specifically within the African context.
115
He notes that pastoral care should have
a strong element and focus on communal life. A person prospers when he or she shares life with others
and lives in communion with others.
Pastoral care should also address spirituality issues. There is a need to acknowledge the widespread
belief in the power of the spiritual forces and not ignore them.
116
The emphasis on family involvement
and the community to a certain extent takes away the stigma of sexual addiction and enhances the family
support. Kasambala follows up Kalilombe’s understanding of spirituality (theologian and scholar who
dedicated quality time to the study of spirituality in an African context) and says that an African spirituality
could be explained as consisting of African people’s attitudes, beliefs and practices as they strive to reach
out toward the super-sensible realities: God, the spirits and the invisible forces in the universe.
117
In this
way, an effort is made to understand how all these play a role in influencing behaviour and how the same
109
Edger, “Evangelicalism, Sexual Morality, and Sexual Addiction: Opposing Views and Continued Conflicts,” 169-170.
110
Brian Donovan, “Political Consequences of Private Authority: Promise Keepers and the Transformation of Hegemonic Masculinity,”
Theory and Society 27, no. 6 (1998): 830.
111
Brian Donovan, “Political Consequences of Private Authority: Promise Keepers and the Transformation of Hegemonic Masculinity,”
Theory and Society 27, no. 6 (1998): 828.
112
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, 18.
113
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, 134.
114
Carnes, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, 138.
115
Magezi, “History and Developments of Pastoral Care in Africa: A Survey and Proposition for Effective Contextual Pastoral
Caregiving.”
116
Magezi, “History and Developments of Pastoral Care in Africa: A Survey and Proposition for Effective Contextual Pastoral
Caregiving.” 8.
117
Amon Eddie Kasambala, “The Impact of an African Spirituality and Cosmology on God-Images in Africa: A Challenge to Practical
Theology and Pastoral Ministry,” 2005, 303.
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E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1623
can efficiently play a role in healing. Additionally, and significantly, Kasambala notes that to an African
person, pastoral care without fail embraces the care of life within the context of community. Thus effective
pastoral ministry is that which takes place in a community setting rather than in a one-room office. African
approaches to pastoral care and pastoral theology are thus communal rather than focused on individual
persons.
118
At the same time, the sexual addict has a great role to play in the recovery process.
The Falling Forward programme (originally called Salt) is a time-proven accountability and
recovery group for men struggling with pornography, lust, masturbation and other forms of habitual sexual
behaviour. Falling Forward proclaims the truth - Jesus is the answer to any sin, including the sin of sexual
addiction and that through Him believers can overcome. The programme is for all men, aged 18 or over,
who struggle with sexual purity and want to be free from the damaging effects of sexual brokenness and
addiction. The programme is run in the context of small groups. Weekly meetings include worship,
teaching and small groups. Accountability and prayer are two of the major components of the small
groups.
119
The material can also be used by female addicts, but they need to realise that it was not
specifically written for them.
120
From the information provided, the Falling Forward programme is
specifically for the Christian who is struggling with sexual addictions. In this instance, the Christian addict
needs to be in a position to embrace God’s forgiveness for the intervention to be effective. This is
important as, according to Visagie, a person caught up in a soul-destroying spiral of sexual addictiveness
will experience feelings of disgrace at a level that will make it extremely difficult for the person to
actualise the theological truth of God’s grace in his or her situation.
121
God is the ultimate Healer, and
those who seek healing must be willing to let God heal them.
Only three approaches were mentioned above, which are available globally, but there are many
others that are available and can be used by pastoral carers as a means to deal with the challenges of sexual
addictions. The emphasis of any intervention, in addition to fostering healthy sexual beliefs, is that God
remains the faithful Father through Christ the Saviour, and that the status of his or her once-reborn identity
in Christ, as achieved by the saving blood of Jesus, has not changed.
122
Continued support, especially from
the family and significant others, cannot be overemphasised. Some of the stereotypes and practices,
especially with the community and the church, need to be reconsidered and openly discussed and
challenged. After all, the Sesotho saying monna o apeswa tsheha ke banna ba bang applies, loosely
translated as ‘other men will hide the nakedness of another man.’
Discussion Summary
In this paper, a definition of sexual addictions as presented in the available literature was provided. The
Biblical narration of King David was presented and an analysis of how it can be linked to the notion of
sexual addiction was. The understanding of sexuality and how religion and specifically Christianity’s
views can impact sexual behaviours have been discussed. Some of the challenges that Pentecostal
charismatics face that are indicative of the presence of the possible scourge of sexually improper behaviour
within the church were highlighted. The role of pastoral care and its importance in providing care to the
sexual addict and addressing the shame that is usually associated with the phenomenon were discussed.
In order to provide effective care, three interventions that are available globally were briefly mentioned,
the possible shortcomings of these interventions were identified and guidelines were proposed that can be
of assistance within the South African context and within the Pentecostal charismatic churches in
particular.
CONCLUSION
Sexual addiction is a reality that affects many irrespective of gender and beliefs. There are those who
allege that sexual addiction is a new phenomenon. However, there is evidence that since time immemorial,
the ability to control the fulfilment of sexual desire has been a challenge to many. Pastoral carers play a
118
Amon Eddie Kasambala, “The Impact of an African Spirituality and Cosmology on God-Images in Africa: A Challenge to Practical
Theology and Pastoral Ministry,” 2005, 301.
119
www.desertstream.org
120
Lockwood, Falling Forward. The Pursuit of Sexual Purity, XIV.
121
Innes Visagie, “The Use of Biblical Teachings on Grace in Counseling Sexual Addiction,” Testamentum Imperium 3 (2011): 1–15,12.
122
Visagie, “The Use of Biblical Teachings on Grace in Counseling Sexual Addiction,” 12.
Phalatsi-Shilubana, M. / E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Vol.5 No.8(2024) pp 1611-1626
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 1624
very critical role in ensuring the physical health and wholeness of those they minister to. Therefore it is
important that they are able to provide efficient interventions to those who seek help without further
condemning them. For the Pastoral carer to provide care, he or she needs to acknowledge their own
shortcomings and discomfort in addressing challenges that are sexual. This paper has discussed three
interventions that are available globally and highlighted the possible shortcomings of these. These are, but
guidelines, and the Pastoral carer would also need to take the specific circumstances of the one seeking
help into consideration. He or she would also need to acknowledge their role in dispelling the stigma and
shame associated with sexual addiction in order to encourage those who need help to come forward. The
church and Pastoral carers are vehicles that God uses to bring healing to His people, and those who
struggle with sexual addictions are not an exception.
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Dr. Mmamajoro Phalatsi-Shilubana is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UNISA’s Research
Institute for Theology and Religion. She holds a D.Phil (Theology) from UNISA, Masters’ Degree in
Education (UJ), a BA in Social Sciences (UL), and a Tertiary Education Diploma (UFS). She holds a
certificate in Monitoring & Evaluation from the University of Stellenbosch. She has extensive experience
in Research and Policy development and implementation. She is involved in community development
projects, focusing on advocacy and interventions (Girls and young women empowerment, Addictions and
HIV related issues) both as a volunteer and a Researcher. Her field of focus is Practical theology. Pursuit
of new knowledge and its impact in improving lives is what drives her. She believes that improving
communities and organisations is what births great leaders.
