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The Politics Of Shame In The Motivation To Virtue: Lessons From The Shame, Pride, And Humility Experiences Of Lgbt Conservative Christians And Their Allies, Theresa Weynand Tobin, Dawne Moon

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Philosophical views defending shame as a catalyst for moral virtue are at odds with empirical data indicating that shame often yields psychologically unhealthy responses for those who feel it, and often motivates in them morally worse action than whatever occasioned the initial shame experience. Our interdisciplinary ethnographic study analyzes the shame experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) conservative Christians and the church members who once shamed them but are now allies. In this context, shame, humility, and proper pride work together amid hierarchies of social power to influence peoples’ motivation, ability, or lack thereof to love and care …