This qualitative study explored the meaning and description of profound sexual and
spiritual connection among practising Christians. Investigations of the conditions and events
that led to these peak encounters as well as the aftereffects of such experiences were also
conducted. It was purposed that this research would enhance understanding of sexual and
spiritual connection, inform theories of love, transpersonal experience, and Christian
theology regarding sexuality, as well as provide counsellors with some initial strategies to
promote more holistic sexual intimacy among their Christian clientele.
The methods of inquiry and data analysis were based on a phenomenological
approach. The researcher conducted an in-depth interview with five men and five women,
representing five Christian denominations, who had experienced a profound event that was
simultaneously sexual and spiritual. The statements within each participant's transcript were
analyzed to discover clusters of meaningful themes. A follow-up interview with each
contributor validated these individual or "situated structural" descriptions. Twenty-five
common themes emerged from the interview data and a fundamental structure or "common
story" was culled from the exhaustive description of the phenomenon. The themes of the
sexual and spiritual encounter were categorized into the into the following three phases:
Preconditions and Facilitating Events; Descriptive Themes of the Encounter; and
Aftereffects. The exhaustive description and fundamental structure were validated by all the
participants in a final follow-up consultation.
The study results offered an empirical and experiential basis for previous conjectures
on linking sexuality and spirituality. The findings were interpreted in light of existing
research on love, transpersonal mystical experience, and Christian theology on sexuality.
Comparisons were made to the experience of transcendental sex experienced by Tantric practitioners. Potentials for individual and relational growth were explored. Following
these interpretations, a number of specific recommendations were made for future research
and counselling practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/8570 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | MacKnee, Chuck M |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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