Ways of Being Religious: Lesbians and Christianity

Abstract

This study explores the subjective experiences and structural location of women within some of the mainline Christian churches in New Zealand. In particular, it analyses how women who identity as lesbian, gay or homosexual reconcile their sexual identities with Christian beliefs and practices. It is argued that these women may experience difficulties, if they wish to remain or become participants in Christian churches, because of the way homosexuality is viewed by most of these denominations in New Zealand. The negotiations involved in this process are shown through the narratives of thirty women. The accounts were obtained from interviews with women about the process of being lesbian and being religious. Drawing upon feminist, interactionist and social constructionist approaches a number of strategies available to women, who are both lesbian and Christian, are identified. Through an examination of these strategies, the importance of retaining the concept 'patriarchy' when appraising the position of both lesbian and heterosexual women within Christianity is demonstrated. The study illustrates how rhetorics of continuity and change are used by the women to account for the construction of their sexual and religious identities, and how significant 'turning points' within their biographies can be located retrospectively. From these accounts three typifications are identified which reflect the interconnections between gender, sexuality and religion in the experiences of the women. Women who identify as lesbian can remain within mainline Christian organisations by passing as 'heterosexual' in contexts where Christianity is central. Other women choose to leave religious organisations to enable themselves to be more open about their lesbian identities; some may still retain their Christian beliefs, while others develop new beliefs outside of Christianity. A final group of women have set about constructing new ways of being Christian, influenced by feminist world-views and an ethos of self-awareness. This latter typification meshes with new ways of being religious in modern societies, but it also demonstrate how lesbian women have much in common with other women within Christian churches. This study, therefore, signals the continuing importance of gender as a intervening structure when exploring the relationship between sexuality and religion; specifically the relationship between being lesbian and being Christian.