Graduation Year

2015

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

American Studies

Reader 1

Erika Dyson

Reader 2

Julia Liss

Rights Information

© 2014 Natasha Magness

Abstract

In this thesis I first aim to describe the way in which the decline of the respectability of reparative therapy in the United States created a need for Evangelicals to come up with another political defense against same sex marriage. I argue that this political defense is gradually becoming what I call the “spiritual friendship movement:” an emerging group of gay thinkers and writers who expand the notion of Christian celibacy to include same sex relationships that would be called “romantic” by modern categories. Because this concept is both so new and so complex, in this thesis I will spend time attempting to paint a picture of the implicit logical and theoretical assumptions made by the writers in “spiritual friendship movement” through their most popular books and blog posts and speaking engagements at key “gate-keeper” evangelical organizations.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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