Abstract
Sexual addiction (SA) and hypersexual disorder (HD) describe prevalent contemporary phenomena that the public remains poorly educated about. Notwithstanding widespread agreement among concerned stakeholders that SA and HD constitute an understudied and underappreciated challenge, the analysis digested in this research converges around the synthesis that Christian Education (CE) stakeholders have not yet had the intrepidity to meaningfully confront this issue. While SA/HD may cause serious bio-psychosocial and spiritual distress, including severe consequences for the affected and their family members, neither the condition, nor its aetiology, is well understood (or even acknowledged) by psychiatrists and medical professionals. Even the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not include any mention of SA/HD. This treatise arises from a literature study, which the authors have supplemented with corresponding critical analysis. The synthesis suggests that religious/spiritual beliefs strongly impinge on both SA/HD aetiology and recovery prospects. Moreover, this study argues for more thematisation of SA/HD within CE environments. CE settings can provide a wholesome contextual environment where a better understanding of SA/HD can be mainstreamed and normalised—rather than moralised—for the greater good of both sufferers and society. This chapter charts pertinent perspectives, challenges and opportunities.
Preamble: Perspectives, viewpoints, analyses and syntheses presented in this chapter are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the values and/or opinions of the institutions with which the authors are affiliated.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change continually throughout the individual’s life span (Doidge 2015).
- 3.
This method produces a reflex behaviour or response through repetitive action training. The Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov trained and conditioned dogs in responding in a predictable manner (Windholz 1995).
- 4.
Attachment style describes the close emotional bond between the child and primary caregiver (Bowlby 2018).
- 5.
According to Augustine, ‘original sin’ in this context refers to Adam and Eve’s rebellion in Eden and their disobedience in consuming the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:1-7; Wyman 2005).
- 6.
Blue Knot Foundation provides support and phone counselling services.
- 7.
The important role of Christian leadership is noted in Nelson and Luetz (2018): ‘Influencing change-resistant environments succeeds best if the messenger owns, exemplifies, personifies or even becomes the living message’ (p. 519).
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Acknowledgements
I [Dr. Fakri Seyed Aghamiri] am grateful to my co-author, mentor and major encourager Dr. Johannes M. Luetz for believing in me and supporting me. I also give special thanks to my husband, Amad, and son, Robin, for allowing me space, love and patience to pursue my research passion. I am particularly appreciative of my oldest son Dr. Danniel for his critical and at times, brutal but constructive feedback. Also, extraordinary thanks go to colleagues and experts who reviewed draft versions of this paper and provided constructive feedback, including Dr. Douglas Weiss Ph.D., President American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy in Colorado Springs, Dr. Frans Johannes Niemann (MBChB, MMed(Haem), FRCPA), Rev. Derek Peters (Senior Pastor Gateway Baptist Church, Ph.D. Candidate), Mr Matthew L. Piciulo (MA/Registered Psychotherapist, Pastoral/SRPC AASAT Counsellor at the office of Dr. D. Weiss), Dr. Caroline Norma Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow RMIT University, Dr. Katherine Hurrell Ph.D., Senior Lecturer Social Sciences Alphacrucis College, and Dr. Stephen Beaumont Ph.D., Dean Social Sciences Christian Heritage College. Finally, I want to thank and acknowledge many SA (Sexaholics Anonymous) members for giving me direction by providing honest disclosures and essential knowledge in this area. I [Dr. Johannes M. Luetz] acknowledge and thank Dr. Fakri Seyed Aghamiri for her exceptional research motivation, her extraordinary empathy for SA sufferers and their partners, and for entrusting her deep-seated research interest to my Ph.D. research supervision. Lastly, as authors, we [both] gratefully acknowledge the two anonymous expert peer reviewers for their helpful comments. Relatedly, a particular note of gratitude is due to the three anonymous sex addicts, who generously offered us their input, comments and strong support throughout the various stages of preparing this paper for publication, thank you!
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Aghamiri, F.S., Luetz, J.M. (2021). Sexual Addiction and Christian Education. In: Luetz, J.M., Green, B. (eds) Innovating Christian Education Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8856-3_24
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