The nonbinary god: Disaggregating spirituality and Christian religiosity among nonbinary Black womxn (NBBW).

Monyae A Kerney, Natalie Malone, Candice N Hargons
Author Information
  1. Monyae A Kerney: Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University. ORCID
  2. Natalie Malone: Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky. ORCID
  3. Candice N Hargons: Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University. ORCID

Abstract

This study examined how 11 nonbinary Black womxn (NBBW) in the United States experience and distinguish between spirituality and religion using an endarkened Black feminist decolonial paradigm and an Afro-Indigenous eco-womxnist cosmological theoretic framework. Data were from Project NBBW, a community-based participatory action research project led by Black sexual and gender minority womxn community members and researchers. We conducted individual semistructured interviews and examined participant's qualitative responses to the following research inquiry: How do NBBW perceive their relationship to spirituality and religion? Participants were 11 NBBW, aged 21-30, living in the United States. Participants identified as spiritual, not religious ( = 5); spiritual and religious ( = 4); and neither spiritual nor religious ( = 2). Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we coconstructed six themes across participant responses. Themes about Christian religion specifically were as follows: (a) I was raised in the Christian tradition, (b) the "shoulds" of a "Black woman," and (c) oh, I'm going to do whatever I want because who did whatever they want? Jesus. Regarding spirituality, the themes were as follows: (a) God ��� you lowkey nonbinary, (b) in constant communication with both the universe and my ancestors, and (c) what would I have believed if we weren't colonized? Implications inform decolonial counseling practice and training, advocacy, and research for NBBW that untethers spirit(uality) from Christian hegemony. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH Term

Humans
Female
Adult
Christianity
Spirituality
Young Adult
Black or African American
Sexual and Gender Minorities
United States
Male
Qualitative Research
Community-Based Participatory Research
Religion and Psychology
White

Word Cloud

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