| Previous research on religion and the body focused on the influence of religion on body image and behaviors. This study examines the effects of specific attitudes toward the body derived from a particular religious system, and people's experiences of their body, rather than on behaviors. Two competing attitudes about the body within Christianity are radical dualism (an objectified view of one's body) and sanctification (a view which sees the body as holy, worthy of respect, and integral to one's being). Using an online survey system and self-report measures, participants indicated the degree to which they hold sanctified and radically dualistic views about their bodies as well as how they experience their bodies. Radical dualism was found to be negatively related to body satisfaction and sexuality awareness and positively related to body shame, depersonalization, and lack of body awareness. Sanctification was found to predict body satisfaction and internal body awareness. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how religiously-based attitudes about the body are related to experiences of the body. |
