THE PURITY MYTH: A FEMINIST DISABILITY THEOLOGY OF WOMEN’S SEXUALITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE

• Sinenhlanhla Sithulisiwe Chisale University of Stellenbosch http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7227-2206

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7833/119-1-1606

Abstract

The purity ideology is used to inform the cultural and religious constructions of women’s sexuality. The ideology is further used to discriminate against the female body and disabled body, limiting the participation of both abled and disabled women in cultural and religious spaces. This article, written from a feminist disability theology perspective, highlights the emerging politics of sexuality on the ability-disability divide between women, and the purity myth ideology that further excludes women from cultural and religious spaces. It argues that the purity ideology is a myth that should unite women in resisting oppressive and patriarchal constructions of sexuality regardless of ability and disability. In conclusion, feminist disability theology is applied to discuss how sexuality that subjects women to the purity myth has negative implications for the pastoral care ministry.