Homosexuality and Priesthood: Conflict in the life of a Norwegian Woman

The conflict between sexual orientation and religiosity in the Christian religion has been studied from different perspectives. However there is no research on female homosexuals who are interested in becoming priests. The aim of this paper is to examine the possible conflict faced by a Norwegian lesbian in her 20's who is an applicant for priesthood. This research can be a first attempt to examine the conflict between faith and sexual identity in female homosexual priests-to-be; a population that has been neglected until today. The Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) was used to analyse the data. One semi-structured interview was conducted through Skype and lasted for approximately 40 minutes. The main themes that have emerged from the analysis of the interview are plenty and broken down into four clusters (Childhood- Schooling, Conflict, Dealing, Now) and each cluster includes subthemes. The analyses showed that conflict can lead to loneliness and a great loss of oneself, of dreams and of hopes. Specifically, trying to figure out the solution in books and theories might be helpful but it does not substitute the social network and support from people who are open-minded and it can provide solutions based on their knowledge of the subject. The limitations of this study is that the interview took place written via Skype and that is it based on one participant. Future research should focus more on the conflict between religiosity and sexuality and the coping techniques used by different individuals. Furthermore, it can assist practitioners in supporting clients facing this issue.