‘Beyond Borders’ is a podcast series exploring intersections of domestic violence, religion and migration in today’s globalised and conflict-affected world. The series aims to provoke new thinking and questions that can inform practice and policy in responses to domestic violence and interconnected forms of violence internationally, but especially in religious, migrant and ethnic minority contexts.

The second episode features Benjamin Kalkum, a trained theologian, development practitioner and gender expert specialising in Sub-Saharan Africa, and explores the intersection of pornography, religiosity and masculinities. This discussion, like many gender and sexuality debates, intersects religious beliefs, cultural standards and scientific evidence.

In the episode, Dr Romina Istratii and Benjamin Kalkum explore together numerous topical questions, including:

What do existing studies tell us about the role of faith in shaping attitudes and behaviours around pornography? Where do these studies originate, and have they sufficiently engaged with non-western faith communities? What would be appropriate pastoral responses to individuals struggling with porn addiction in religious settings?

Listen to find out more about:

➡️ The prevalence of pornography use among religious and non-religious individuals
➡️ The mediating effects of religiosity and its potential to act as a protective factor
➡️ The role of shame in religious and non-religious individuals and perceptions of pornographic consumption
➡️ The secularising effect of porn
➡️ Gaps in research, particularly of evidence emerging outside of North America and Western cultural realities

The podcast is intended for practitioners and policy makers who would like to understand better the current state of evidence and innovative research approaches on the topic of pornography, religion and domestic violence and how to engage clerics and faith institutions in effective responses.