Against Such Things There is No Law: Evangelical College Students’ Perceptions of the Fruit of the Spirit as Primarily Gendered

Abstract

Although it is clear in Scripture that Christian spiritual growth includes the development of godly characteristics like those outlined in Galatians 5, anecdotal evidence suggests that people view some spiritual characteristics as primarily feminine in nature. In a series of three studies, evangelical Christian college students evaluated gender stereotypes interspersed with characteristics commonly described as “the Fruit of the Spirit” from Galatians 5. Despite a variety of methodological approaches, students consistently rated the Fruit of the Spirit as primarily descriptive of women. Implications of these results for broader issues of gender stereotyping and Christian life are discussed.