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The Sacred and the Sensual: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Evangelical Purity Culture's Influence on Women's Relationship with Their Body and Sexuality

Sutter, Juliette LU (2024) SIMZ21 20241
Graduate School
Abstract
This auto-ethnographic study explores the impacts of evangelical purity culture (EPC) on women’s relationship with their body, gender identity, sexuality, and sexual experiences, and the underlying mechanisms that drive these impacts. This work aims to bridge the significant gap in academic literature on women’s lived experiences in EPC. It encourages a thoughtful examination of this culture while emphasizing the importance of its serious consideration and the need for future research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten cisgender women between the ages of 24-32 who were raised in EPC in Western Canada and the Southern United States and identify living with positive or negative physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or... (More)
This auto-ethnographic study explores the impacts of evangelical purity culture (EPC) on women’s relationship with their body, gender identity, sexuality, and sexual experiences, and the underlying mechanisms that drive these impacts. This work aims to bridge the significant gap in academic literature on women’s lived experiences in EPC. It encourages a thoughtful examination of this culture while emphasizing the importance of its serious consideration and the need for future research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten cisgender women between the ages of 24-32 who were raised in EPC in Western Canada and the Southern United States and identify living with positive or negative physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or spiritual impacts from the teachings they received during their childhood and active participation in evangelicalism.The research is underpinned by a feminist epistemology and constructionist paradigm, embracing a relativist ontology. The findings highlight how EPC operates through various mechanisms, including shame, objectification of the female body, rigid gender roles, insufficient sex education, and essentialist teachings privileging heterosexuality, all of which are argued to be God’s design, based on scripture. These mechanisms, coupled with surveillance and control systems such as peer and self-monitoring, contributed to the internalization of shame and self-objectification. As a
result, the participants experienced profound disconnection from their bodies, femininity, and sexuality, which led to the development of eating disorders, religious trauma, unsafe sexual situations, suppression of sexual desires, cognitive dissonance, suicidal ideation, and other detrimental effects on their well-being. (Less)
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author
Sutter, Juliette LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ21 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Evangelical Purity Culture, Religious Trauma, Sexuality, Embodiment, Sex Education, Gender Roles
language
English
id
9156597
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 12:37:04
date last changed
2024-06-26 12:37:04
@misc{9156597,
  abstract     = {{This auto-ethnographic study explores the impacts of evangelical purity culture (EPC) on women’s relationship with their body, gender identity, sexuality, and sexual experiences, and the underlying mechanisms that drive these impacts. This work aims to bridge the significant gap in academic literature on women’s lived experiences in EPC. It encourages a thoughtful examination of this culture while emphasizing the importance of its serious consideration and the need for future research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten cisgender women between the ages of 24-32 who were raised in EPC in Western Canada and the Southern United States and identify living with positive or negative physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or spiritual impacts from the teachings they received during their childhood and active participation in evangelicalism.The research is underpinned by a feminist epistemology and constructionist paradigm, embracing a relativist ontology. The findings highlight how EPC operates through various mechanisms, including shame, objectification of the female body, rigid gender roles, insufficient sex education, and essentialist teachings privileging heterosexuality, all of which are argued to be God’s design, based on scripture. These mechanisms, coupled with surveillance and control systems such as peer and self-monitoring, contributed to the internalization of shame and self-objectification. As a
result, the participants experienced profound disconnection from their bodies, femininity, and sexuality, which led to the development of eating disorders, religious trauma, unsafe sexual situations, suppression of sexual desires, cognitive dissonance, suicidal ideation, and other detrimental effects on their well-being.}},
  author       = {{Sutter, Juliette}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Sacred and the Sensual: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Evangelical Purity Culture's Influence on Women's Relationship with Their Body and Sexuality}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}