Hegemonic masculinities and sexual abuse: two case studies

This article discusses male experiences of hegemonic masculinity and abuse within two small, anonymized new religious movements, drawing on primary source material from the educational charity Inform. Both groups created patriarchal, misogynistic cultures in which women were inferior to men and the leaders used teachings to justify restricted gender roles and sexual activity and sexual abuse of women. Both men and women experienced additional abuse, including physical, psychological, spiritual, and financial. We argue the revelations of sexual abuse irrevocably damaged the systems of hegemonic masculinity. Drawing parallels with literature on charisma and charismatization, we explore how charismatic leaders enforced gendered expectations and unequal relationships. Employing the concept of moral injury, we explore how revelations of sexual abuse in one group disrupted the shared worldview and precipitated religious exit. These case studies add a gendered perspective to the literature on both religious exit and religious abuse through cisgender, heterosexual men’s experiences.