{"id":{"repo_id":"liverpool-jm","oai_identifier":"oai:researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk:10207"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/liverpool-jm/oai:researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk:10207","repository":{"repo_id":"liverpool-jm","name":"Liverpool Jon Moores University","base_url":"https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"The distinctive relationship between sexual ecstasy and spiritual ecstasy for heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy of the Church of England: Integrating Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.","abstract":"Twenty-two participants who identified as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered clergy of the Church of England were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The methodology employed incorporated Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. After several levels of analysis the following superordinate themes emerged: (a) twenty of these participants organised their sexuality and spirituality in a dialectical or unified relationship; (b) twelve of these reported a direct mystical union with God through the veil of sexual ecstasy; (c) all twelve reported that these experiences have been transformative leading to an expanded and inclusive sense of self and other, which has also enhanced their ministry; (d) rituals and symbols that reflect the distinctive relationship between sex and spirit are needed to reflect and confirm heterosexual and LGBT participants’ lived experiences; and, (e) the House of Bishops of the Church of England continues to place spirituality and sexuality in a dualistic relationship, relegating the latter into the shadows of human experience, causing a deep sense of rejection and oppression for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy who faithfully serve as priests within the Church of England.","abstract_html":"Twenty-two participants who identified as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered clergy of the Church of England were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The methodology employed incorporated Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. After several levels of analysis the following superordinate themes emerged: (a) twenty of these participants organised their sexuality and spirituality in a dialectical or unified relationship; (b) twelve of these reported a direct mystical union with God through the veil of sexual ecstasy; (c) all twelve reported that these experiences have been transformative leading to an expanded and inclusive sense of self and other, which has also enhanced their ministry; (d) rituals and symbols that reflect the distinctive relationship between sex and spirit are needed to reflect and confirm heterosexual and LGBT participants’ lived experiences; and, (e) the House of Bishops of the Church of England continues to place spirituality and sexuality in a dualistic relationship, relegating the latter into the shadows of human experience, causing a deep sense of rejection and oppression for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy who faithfully serve as priests within the Church of England.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Smith, S"],"institution":"Liverpool John Moores University","degree_name":"phd","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lancaster, L","McIlroy, D"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-09","date_published":"2018-09","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:30:25Z","subjects":["BF Psychology","BR Christianity","HM Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.24377/LJMU.t.00010207","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lancaster, L","McIlroy, D"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Smith, S"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2018-09-11"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2018-09"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Natural Sciences and Psychology (closed 31 Aug 19)"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Liverpool John Moores University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["phd"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["BF Psychology","BR Christianity","HM Sociology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["10.24377/LJMU.t.00010207"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207/1/smithphd2018.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Twenty-two participants who identified as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered clergy of the Church of England were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The methodology employed incorporated Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. After several levels of analysis the following superordinate themes emerged: (a) twenty of these participants organised their sexuality and spirituality in a dialectical or unified relationship; (b) twelve of these reported a direct mystical union with God through the veil of sexual ecstasy; (c) all twelve reported that these experiences have been transformative leading to an expanded and inclusive sense of self and other, which has also enhanced their ministry; (d) rituals and symbols that reflect the distinctive relationship between sex and spirit are needed to reflect and confirm heterosexual and LGBT participants’ lived experiences; and, (e) the House of Bishops of the Church of England continues to place spirituality and sexuality in a dualistic relationship, relegating the latter into the shadows of human experience, causing a deep sense of rejection and oppression for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy who faithfully serve as priests within the Church of England."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The distinctive relationship between sexual ecstasy and spiritual ecstasy for heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy of the Church of England: Integrating Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lancaster, L","McIlroy, D"],"dc:creator":["Smith, S"],"dc:date":["2018-09-11"],"dc:date.issued":["2018-09"],"dc:description.abstract":["Twenty-two participants who identified as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered clergy of the Church of England were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. 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After several levels of analysis the following superordinate themes emerged: (a) twenty of these participants organised their sexuality and spirituality in a dialectical or unified relationship; (b) twelve of these reported a direct mystical union with God through the veil of sexual ecstasy; (c) all twelve reported that these experiences have been transformative leading to an expanded and inclusive sense of self and other, which has also enhanced their ministry; (d) rituals and symbols that reflect the distinctive relationship between sex and spirit are needed to reflect and confirm heterosexual and LGBT participants’ lived experiences; and, (e) the House of Bishops of the Church of England continues to place spirituality and sexuality in a dualistic relationship, relegating the latter into the shadows of human experience, causing a deep sense of rejection and oppression for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy who faithfully serve as priests within the Church of England."],"dc:format":["text"],"dc:identifier.doi":["10.24377/LJMU.t.00010207"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207/1/smithphd2018.pdf"],"dc:publisher.department":["Natural Sciences and Psychology (closed 31 Aug 19)"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Liverpool John Moores University"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207/"],"dc:subject":["BF Psychology","BR Christianity","HM Sociology"],"dc:title":["The distinctive relationship between sexual ecstasy and spiritual ecstasy for heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clergy of the Church of England: Integrating Transpersonal Awareness with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis."],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["phd"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:30:25Z"}