Description
Book SynopsisMonique Moultrie explores the impact of faith-based sexual ministries on black women's sexual agency to trace how these women navigate sexuality, religious authority, and their spiritual walk with God.
Trade Review(Starred Review) "A stunning and dynamic sociological read on womanist sexual ethics." -- Sandra Collins * Library Journal *
"This engaging multidisciplinary thought-provoking text will be of interest to academics, educators and researchers. . . . It brings new critical insights/analyses to a topic often considered taboo in these fields." -- Uvanney Maylor * Ethnic and Racial Studies *
"[Moultrie's] approach is bold, delving into the experiences of real women in an attempt to bring sexuality out of the shadows of church teachings, yet indicating that the parachurch ministries themselves have not gone far enough." -- Tola Olu Pearce * Journal of African American History *
"Moultrie's
Passionate and Pious … goes beyond filling a gap in the literature as her work provides an intimate portrayal of the messages transmitted in black Christian media and the way these messages are received." -- Apryl Williams * Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture *
"Reaching beyond typical questions, like the morality of homosexuality,
Passionate and Pious is a more robust exploration of Christian sexual ethics.… An excellent resource for theological graduate students looking for more insight into the sexual ethics of the Black church and Black women. It is also an excellent read for Black women and those of other backgrounds who grapple with the high price of purity culture and pleasing God through their sexual choices." -- Courtney Bryant * Journal of Religion *
"Charts new ground….
Passionate and Pious is an important text for helping religious leaders, laypersons, and activists do the work of constructing viable alternatives. It is a valuable text to guide scholars, teachers, and students in examining the complex tensions between Black women's sexuality, moral codes, and religious beliefs and practices." -- Elise M. Edwards * International Journal of Africana Studies *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix
Introduction. For All the Single Ladies: Black Women's Stories of Faith and Sexuality 1
1. Sexual Purity as PR: Tracing the Impact of Religious Media 21
2. Reading "Our" Bynum as Text: For a Black Woman by a Black Woman 29
3. Beyond Bynum: Analyzing Contemporary Faith-Based Sexuality Ministries 50
4. "Why I Gotta be Gay?": Approaches to Womanist Sexual Hospitality 81
5. "The Lord Still has Work for Me to Do": Analyzing Senior Sexuality and Faith-Based Sexuality Ministries 96
6. Horny and Holy: Saved Women Seeking Sexual Pleasure 116
Conclusion. Living Sexually Before God: A Contemporary Womanist Sexual Ethics 142
Notes 153
Bibliography 173
Index 183
