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Sacred Sexual Unions: The Sanctification of Marital Sexuality in Newlyweds

Hernandez, Krystal M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1213832819

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
A number of religious teachings and spiritually-integrated literature supports viewing sexuality, particularly marital sexuality, as having divine character and significance, and such perceptions of sanctification may facilitate healthy couple functioning. However, few empirical links have been documented among sexuality, marriage, and religion (e.g., Young et al., 1998). Studies on sanctification within the family have focused on the sanctification of marriage (Mahoney et al., 1999) and sexual intercourse in loving relationships (Murray-Swank et al., 2005). This study extends empirical exploration of the sanctification of marital sexuality. Among a sample of 83 newly married individuals, higher sanctification of marital sexuality was positively correlated with greater sexual and marital satisfaction, sexual and spiritual intimacy, investment in the sexual bond, and positive and negative religious coping. Higher sanctification also related to less global distress from sexual difficulties. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that sanctification of marital sexuality contributed an additional 1% to 17% of the variance in sexual, psychological, and spiritual criteria after accounting for demographic variables and conventional religiousness, with total variances accounted for by the regression models ranging from 28%-53%. Further analysis of two subscales of sanctification revealed that perceiving marital sexuality as sacred tended to contribute to significant variance over and above the perception of marital sexuality as a manifestation of God. Correlations between sanctification and sexual and non-sexual processes have implications for continued research and support the integrated assessment of religion and sexuality in marital therapy.
Annette Mahoney (Advisor)
Kenneth Pargament (Committee Member)
Anne Gordon (Committee Member)
160 p.
Psychology
marriage; religion; spirituality; sexuality; marital sexuality; newlyweds; sanctification

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hernandez, K. M. (2008). Sacred Sexual Unions: The Sanctification of Marital Sexuality in Newlyweds [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1213832819

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hernandez, Krystal. Sacred Sexual Unions: The Sanctification of Marital Sexuality in Newlyweds. 2008. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1213832819.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hernandez, Krystal. "Sacred Sexual Unions: The Sanctification of Marital Sexuality in Newlyweds." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1213832819

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1213832819
3,117
© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.