Title
Theology and the body : sanctification and bodily experiences
School/Department
Rosemead School of Psychology
Publication Date
2-1-2013
Abstract
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
Keywords
Attitudes; Body image; Body image disturbances;
Publication Title
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Volume
5
Issue
1
First Page
41
Last Page
50
DOI of Published Version
10.1037/a0028042 .
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Tamara Lynn; Jacobson, Heather L.; and Hall, M. Elizabeth Lewis, "Theology and the body : sanctification and bodily experiences" (2013). Faculty Articles & Research. 21.
https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/faculty-articles/21