Divine Fluidity: Shifts of Gender and Sexuality in Conservative Christian Communities

Author

Sarah Stewart Burgess, Pomona CollegeFollow

Graduation Year

2009

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Religious Studies

Reader 1

Zayn Kassam

Reader 2

Katrina Van Heest

Reader 3

Pardis Mahdavi

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2009 Sarah Stewart Burgess

Abstract

This thesis draws on ethnographic research from three communities of conservative Christian women who find empowerment and agency through their religious traditions. Two communities are politically active, outspoken women who also believe strongly in "traditional" roles for women, and one community idealizes conservative standards of sexuality while accepting women who work as sex workers. These women did not view their positions as contradictory, rather, they used religious beliefs and religious practices to enact, embody or explain their complex genders and sexualities. This thesis draws on ethnographic, feminist and queer theories while showcasing the diversity within a movement largely believed to be monolithic. The researcher aims to encourage more dialogue between liberal feminists and conservative Christians.

Comments

Previously linked to as: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/u?/stc,60

OCLC number: 549439192

Recommended Citation

Burgess, Sarah Stewart, "Divine Fluidity: Shifts of Gender and Sexuality in Conservative Christian Communities" (2009). Pomona Senior Theses. 30.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/30