A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Messages of Sex and Their Impacts on Newlywed Christian Men

Religion, and Christianity in particular, holds considerable influence on experiences and perceptions of sexuality. However, there is little research on how this influence is experienced. Therefore, the primary research question of this study is: how do newlywed heterosexual Christian men experience religious messages about sex, and what are the impacts of these messages on their sexuality? This study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach to understand how participants experienced Christian sexual messages before and within marriage. Data analysis was conducted using Creswell’s (2013) adaptation of Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological design. Participants indicated five overarching themes regarding messages of sex and how these messages influence them: (1) conflicting messages about sex; (2) the need for accountability; (3) premarital sexuality as a journey; (4) changing understandings of sex within marriage; and (5) changing the conversation. Therapeutic and pastoral implications of the findings are further discussed.