Navigating Sex, Sexuality, and Christian Values (original) (raw)

Sacred Sexuality and Conservative American Christianity: Probing the Boundaries

This paper explores the conflicted sexual and spiritual beliefs of five present or former evangelical Christians living in the south-western US. The churches associated with these individuals traditionally teach that the only legitimate expression of sexuality is within the confines of monogamous heterosexual marriage. Embracing their individual sexuality and recapturing their individual sexual autonomy, which includes the freedom to choose non-monogamy or same-sex couplings, these persons moved across the boundaries of sexual and social normalcy proscribed by their religion. For most of these individuals, their pilgrimage towards sexual liberty (the capacity to experience and express healthy sexuality without coercive constraints) is self-perceived as personally and spiritually rewarding even as they experience isolation and condemnation from their original church affiliations. They found that sacred sexuality is a matter of perspective; sexual purity is not abstinence or withholding pleasure, but in becoming a generous and sincere partner. For professional clergy, departure from mainstream Christianity came after a long period of growing frustration at the heavy-handed tactics used by church leadership to suppress heteroglossia concerning sexuality within the Scriptures. As this clergyman expressed divergent views from the accepted theological paradigm concerning sexuality, he was labeled a heretic by his church and many of its members. A series of informal ethnographic interviews with this couple and three individuals reveals the various social and religious dimensions of their experiences: expressing erotic desire as worship, fearing public censure, experiencing loss.

Culture of gender: socialization, spirituality and sexuality

1987

In this presentation, I hope to take you on a journey through the social landscape which teaches us about spirituality and sexuality. Like any journey, this one will have its ups and downs and in this case both ups and downs come from the same source. That source is the recognition that what we can be as spiritual and sexual beings is both enhanced and thwarted by social pressures and expectations. Some aspects o f this recognition we may wish we could overlook but, ultimately, i f we are to guide others on similar journeys, we must face them squarely and realize that understanding the shifting aspects o f our social w orld gives us ultimate pow er over ourselves and enables us to reach out to others. Jourard, Sidney, M. 1974. "Som e Lethal Aspects o f the Male R o le " in Pleck, Joseph and Jack Sawyer (eds.), Men and Masculinity. Englewood Cliffs, N ew Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Miller, Jean Baker.

Holiness Sex: Conservative Christian Sex Practices as Acts of Sanctification

In this article about conservative Christian heterosex advice manuals I will pursue two lines of inquiry: First, I will argue exegetically that these texts represent a particular modern intertwining of sexual and religious discourses. Here, the bodies of the Christian heterosexual couple are shaped as tension-filled sites: In their sexual bodies the Evangelical men and women, who consume and contribute to these texts, are tasked to negotiate and endure the antinomies of sexual discourses in high modernity in addition to those of Christian theologies of grace. While these manuals combine a discourse that highlights the importance of freely enjoying sexual pleasures, they also echo a wider cultural sense that sexuality is a dangerous power in need of constant disciplining. In terms of theology, this complicated shaping of heterosex enables a body theology of grace, in which it remains constantly unclear how much agency and submission the Christian man or Christian wife have to perform in the drama of salvation. As my second and theoretical line of inquiry, I will demonstrate how the proliferation of Christian advice products is part of the modernization of Evangelical heterosex discourse by creating a specific marketable and consumable identity of Christian sexuality.

SEXUALITY AND FAITH: PASTORAL REFLECTIONS ON SEXUALITY AND A THEOLOGY OF SEXUAL BEING

This article discusses the complex relations between sexuality and faith, and pastoral reflections on sexuality and faith in the contexts of Protestant religious traditions. Four general principles that guide faithful sexuality are offered: Covenant, Grace, Empowerment, and Intimacy. Sexuality is defined as an integral part of individual and social life and being which involves relationships with persons, groups, communities, societies, cultures, and God. Sexuality is also discussed in terms of the dynamics of gender, power, role identity, and self-image. Faith is understood as deep investment in centers of value through which the persons and groups seek to establish or construct coherence, meaning, and value in life.

Christian Ethical Perspective on Sexual Orientation and Sexual Behavior

2022

Sexual expressions in the 21 st century have become diverse to the extent that previously stereotyped expressions are gaining popularity within Christian ethical discourses. Most Christian denominations differentiate homosexual orientation from homosexual behaviors. This distinction allows these denominations to denounce homosexual behaviors and tolerate homosexual orientation. The underlining notion is that one is not guilty until they have acted on their sexual orientation. Thus experiencing homosexual orientation alone does not necessarily make one a homosexual. This article examines sexual orientation and sexual behavior as components of sexual expression. The examination links sexual orientation and sexual behavior to sexual identity. The fundamental question of the inquiry is: are sexual orientations and sexual behaviors mutually exclusive as far as sexual expression is concerned? Are Christian denominations justified in denouncing homosexual behaviors but tolerant of homosexual orientations? The article reveals that not all sexual orientations have corresponding sexual behaviors, but sexual orientations influence sexual behaviors and the choice of a sex partner. Individuals determine their sexual identity through their preferred sexual orientation and not through their sexual behaviors or choice of a sex partner. Consequently, it is incorrect to focus on sexual behaviors or the gender of sex partners to respond to issues on sexual identity. Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:28 shows that unhealthy sexual orientation is as toxic as unhealthy sexual behavior. It is, therefore, inconsistent for a Christian community to strictly condemn sexual behaviors in same-sex relations while tolerating homoeroticism.

Enlightened Sexuality: Exploring the Implications of Sacred Sexuality

Journal of Psychology and Theology, 2018

For many Christians spirituality and sexuality are kept in separate compartments of life, limiting both spiritual formation and adult sexual development. This study explored a concept of sacred sexuality, how it might fit into adult sexual development, how it might be expressed across path preferences, and its association with sexual satisfaction. A nonrandom convenience sample of adults was recruited to measure the relationship and strength between the prevalence of sacred qualities during sexual episodes and sexual satisfaction using a multiple regression analysis. It was determined that sacred qualities uniquely predicted a significant portion (12%) of sexual satisfaction after accounting for dyadic adjustment. This study can assist clinicians and spiritual directors in advancing the sexual welfare of their communities, leading to a sexuality that is truly salt and light in the world.