ACCEPTANCE: JEWISH VIEWS ON HOMOSEXUALITY THROUGH THE LENS OF ORTHODOX, CONSERVATIVE & REFORM BRANCHES
| dc.contributor.advisor | Stykes , Bart J | |
| dc.creator | McKey, Benjamin J | |
| dc.creator.orcid | 0000-0003-4452-5813 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-05-18T13:15:08Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-05-18T13:15:08Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2020-05 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-04-09 | |
| dc.date.submitted | May 2020 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2020-05-18T13:15:08Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | The objective of this study is to highlight differences in how various branches of Judaism discuss LGBTQ inclusion and acceptance. Political and public support for same-sex relationships has shifted considerably from the 1970s to the present, and prior research indicates that one’s religious affiliation is an important factor in defining their views on such matters. I assert that distinctions in three branches make Judaism a key opportunity to consider a more nuanced link between religious institutions and sexuality. I leverage key insights from a convenience sample of 58 blog entries taken from a major website targeted to the entire, religious, Jewish population (MyJewishLearning). Findings highlight two guiding lens through which Judaism, as a social institution, grapples with LGBT+ issues and same-sex marriage. The first, which was less common (25% of all entries), concerned the different interpretations of sacred texts. Consistently, literal interpretations were used to lobby against greater inclusivity of LGBT+ persons whereas symbolic interpretations of the Torah, and related texts, were actually used in support of “the LGBT+ experience.” The second, more pervasive (as in 100% of blog entries) theme concerned some discussion of religious community, which appears to differ across branches. Multiple forms of community involved in this study included communities pertaining to family and allies, an online space, a venue for political activism, socially constructed as well as rigid and inflexible communities. My research contributes to future studies on LGBT+ religious communities and has important implications for individual health and well-being. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/2767 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | LGBT+ | |
| dc.subject | community | |
| dc.subject | Jewish | |
| dc.subject | identity | |
| dc.subject | same-sex | |
| dc.title | ACCEPTANCE: JEWISH VIEWS ON HOMOSEXUALITY THROUGH THE LENS OF ORTHODOX, CONSERVATIVE & REFORM BRANCHES | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| thesis.degree.department | Sociology | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Sam Houston State University | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Arts |
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