Screening sacred profanities
Religious celibacy, erotic transgressions, and the sexualized nun in Benedetta
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13086109 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Krishnaja T S (0000-0002-9540-5136, National Institute of Technology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Porn Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2326-8743 • E-ISSN: 2326-8751 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23268743.2025.2599801 |
| OpenAlex | W7119521457 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta offers compelling explorations of the tension between the sacred and the profane, presenting provocative portrayals of nuns engaging in overt sexual behaviour. Benedetta adopts the gravitas of a historical drama to investigate themes of power, desire, and mysticism, questioning the foundations of religious celibacy by foregrounding same-sex intimacy and sexual escapades as transgressive acts against its repressive frameworks. Drawing on Linda Williams’ theoretical framework on pornography and power dynamics, the present study seeks to understand how the film subverts the Church’s historical structures of sexual repression. The study explores the intersection of spirituality and eroticism, with particular attention to the symbolic role of religious imagery in framing sexual transgression. Benedetta deliberately challenges the traditional depiction of nuns as paragons of piety and virginity by portraying them as sexually active individuals who defy institutional constraints.
Ethnography · Field (mathematics · Human sexuality · Identity (music · Subject (documents · Early Modern Women Writers · Interdisciplinary Cultural and Social Studies · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |