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The Dilemmas of Monogamy

Pleasure, Discipline and the Pentecostal Moral Self in the Republic of Benin

Bibliographic Data

ID3333929
AuthorsSitna Quiroz (0000-0001-5417-1655, Durham University, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume7
Issue8
Pages102
Publication date2016-08-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel7080102
OpenAlexW2516059315
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited37

Based on ethnographic research in the Republic of Benin, this article explores how Pentecostal teachings on marriage and the management of sexual pleasure contribute to shaping converts' moral selves. For Pentecostals, fidelity towards God, when single and fidelity between partners, once married, is presented as the ideal model of partnership to which every "Born-Again" should aspire. In the context where polygamous unions are socially accepted, Pentecostal pastors teach that a satisfactory sexual life restricted to marriage is the means of building successful monogamous unions. However, sexual satisfaction might not always guarantee marital success, especially when people face problems of infertility. The author suggests that the disciplinary regimes that these teachings promote contribute to shaping new modes of intimacy, which are compatible with societal changes but often contradict the extant social norms and ideals of reproduction. Moral dilemmas arising from this tension are the key to understanding how Pentecostal Christianity shapes the moral self. The article addresses how Pentecostals in Benin navigate and negotiate cultural continuities and discontinuities in relation to church authority and family life

Pleasure · Sociology · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · Gender Studies · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Psychology · Religion, Society, and Development · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works3
Citations per year0,38
Citation span2018 - 2024 (7)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 3
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