Between the horny and holy: womanist sexual ethics and the cultural productions of "No More Sheets".

Abstract

This dissertation utilizes a womanist cultural analysis to evaluate religious media and its implications for black women’s sexual decision-making. The dissertation offers a constructive womanist sexual ethics that uses an articulated methodology of womanist sociological analysis and poststructural cultural analysis to argue for a more holistic model for women who receive religious messages about their sexuality. This project contributes to both the disciplines of womanist ethics and cultural studies because of its interest in televangelist Prophetess Juanita Bynum and her faith-based sexuality ministry. Prophetess Bynum gained notoriety with her video “No More Sheets,” and her message is a penultimate example of the various faith-based mass media productions that are providing messages to black women about sexuality. While I am focused on decoding the conservative sexual rhetoric produced in such faith-based media/ministries, it is my intent to push the boundaries of both disciplines to provide a constructive sexual ethics that advocates black women’s sexual agency.