Table Of Content

Christians under Covers EVANGELICALS AND SEXUAL PLEASURE ON THE INTERNET Kelsy Burke UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Christians under Covers This page intentionally left blank Christians under Covers EVANGELICALS AND SEXUAL PLEASURE ON THE INTERNET Kelsy Burke UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Oakland, California © 2016 by Th e Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Burke, Kelsy, 1985– author. Christians under covers : evangelicals and sexual pleasure on the Internet / Kelsy Burke. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-520-28632-0 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn 978-0-520-28633-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) isbn 978-0-520-96158-6 (ebook) 1. Christians—Sexual behavior—United States. 2. Sex—Religious aspects—Christianity. 3. Internet—Religious aspects—Christianity. 4. Sex in mass media. I. Title. hq63.b87 2016 233′.5—dc23 2015031933 Manufactured in the United States of America 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Natures Natural, a fi ber that contains 30% post-consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper). To Jody, my first writing coach This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables ix Acknowledgments xi A Note to Readers on Quoting Online Content xiii Introduction 1 1 • Godly Sex: A New Evangelical Sexual Logic 29 2 • Overcoming the Obscene: Using Religion to Talk about Sex 54 3 • Virtual and Virtuous: Forming Online Religious Communities 81 4 • Sexual Awakening: Defi ning Women’s Pleasures 108 5 • What Makes a Man: Making “Bad” Sex “Good” 132 Conclusion: Paths of Desire 155 Appendix A: List of Christian Sexuality Websites 169 Appendix B: Doing Internet Ethnography 171 Notes 181 Bibliography 205 Index 217 This page intentionally left blank LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES 1. Number of years married by denomination, CSIS married sample 24 2. Frequency of attendance at religious services, CSIS and GSS sample 25 3. Internet use by denomination, CSIS and GSS sample 25 4. Attitudes about sex between same-sex adults by denomination, CSIS and GSS sample 26 5. Attitudes about sex between unmarried adults by denomination, CSIS and GSS sample 26 6. Attitudes about sex between unmarried adults, sex between same-sex adults, and a married couple viewing pornography together, CSIS sample 40 7. Attitudes about oral sex, the use of vibrators, anal sex, and a married man or woman masturbating, CSIS sample 47 8. Number of sexual partners by gender, CSIS married sample 51 9. Frequency of oral sex in marriage by gender, CSIS married sample 51 10. “Th e clitoris with labia,” from A Celebration of Sex, by Douglas Rosenau 62 11. “Positioning for premature ejaculation training session using squeeze control,” from Intended for Pleasure, by Ed and Gaye Wheat 62 12. “Having a ball,” from LovingGroom.com 62 13. Frequency of masturbation by gender, CSIS married sample 124 ix