Theology and the Body: Sanctification and Bodily Experiences

Previous research on religion and the body has tended to focus on the influence of religion in general on body image and behaviors. The present study, in contrast, examines the effects of a specific attitude toward the body, sanctification, derived from a particular religious system, and furthermore...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of religion and spirituality 2013-02, Vol.5 (1), p.41-50
Main Authors: Jacobson, Heather L, Hall, M. Elizabeth Lewis, Anderson, Tamara L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Body Image
Body Image Disturbances
Experiences (Events)
Female
Human
Male
Religion
Theology
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Summary:Previous research on religion and the body has tended to focus on the influence of religion in general on body image and behaviors. The present study, in contrast, examines the effects of a specific attitude toward the body, sanctification, derived from a particular religious system, and furthermore focuses on people's experiences of their body, rather than on behaviors. This view of sanctification sees the body as holy, worthy of respect, and integral to one's being. This study examined how sanctified views of the body relate to how people experience their bodies. Participants were 187 undergraduates from a private Christian liberal arts college. Using an online survey system and self-report measures, participants indicated the degree to which they hold sanctified views about their bodies as well as how they experience their bodies. Sanctification was found to be positively correlated with body satisfaction, negatively correlated with body objectification and depersonalization, and to account for variance in bodily experiences above and beyond religious commitment. Gender moderated the relationship between sanctification and body awareness. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how religiously based attitudes about the body are related to experiences of the body.
ISSN:1941-1022
1943-1562
DOI:10.1037/a0028042