Women inside and outside of the Church already struggle with misplacing our value in our appearance, and yearning for men and other women deem us attractive. But as Christians, we know that sex and sexuality is not the end all be all. So suggesting women find fulfillment in our sexuality and affirmation of our bodies by objectifying them in front of a camera doesn’t help us. What does help is being reminded that no matter how we look or how much another has violated us, we are beautiful because we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator and crafted in His image.

When “Please, please, please” is the subject line of a friend’s email, you know something’s wrong. Last week, a friend of mine sent an email asking Faith and I to “please, please, please” respond to some unsettling notions in a recent Christianity Today article proposing boudoir photography as beneficial for some Christian women.

The article, “Finding Healing in Front of the Camera,” is a part of a Her.meneutics series tackling female perspectives on sex not typically covered in your ladies Bible study. A much-needed series of discussion. However, recommendations for erotic bedroom photography is something I’d expect in Cosmopolitan, not Christianity Today. So I was a bit surprised by the premise.

In the article, author Maureen Farrell Garcia explains:

Given our current cultural context, in which many women feel pressure to attain an impossible beauty ideal, I love the idea of women pursuing boudoir shoots to embrace their bodies and overcome hangups with their own sexuality.

Garcia briefly raises concerns over the potential for idolatry and pornography. She even shares her husband “struggled with voyeurism and porn” and understands why some Christian women and men would take issue. Ultimately though, she nods in agreement with the racy photos as a means for women to find themselves attractive again, especially after sexual violence and abuse.

“As someone who has experienced sexual violation,” Garcia writes. “I believe these sessions could help heal and empower women who have been mistreated or abused.” I applaud Garcia for being so open and honest with her readers, and I appreciate her well-intentioned efforts to help assaulted women. However, she seems to advocate for women’s fulfillment in superficial notions of beauty, and, their further sexual objectification.

Women in the Church know better. Our worth is not found in the bedroom.

Consider the reality of Garcia’s advice. God forbid I ever experience a sexual assault, but “Go take boudoir photos so you can feel sexy again” is absolutely not what I would want to hear from the women in my church after such a traumatic experience. Personally, I would feel more deflated.

Women inside and outside of the Church already struggle with misplacing our value in our appearance, and yearning for men and other women deem us attractive.

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