Art by: Natalie Waggoner

Southern Baptist Rituals in Ethel Cain’s Music:
An Examination of Queer Identity and Community

Anthropology 0009 Final Project
by Riley Rhines

Table of Contents

1. Introduction + Methodology

2. Southern Baptist Rituals and Religious Imagery

3. Queer Identity and Religious Trauma

4. Community Formation

5. Healing and Faith Reclamation

6. Conclusion

7. References

"Preacher's Daughter" album art

I. Introduction and Methodology

Ethel Cain @ Castro Theater - San Francisco, CA (Photo by Sabrina Poei)

Ethel Cain is the fictional musical persona of singer-songwriter Hayden Anhedönia. Being raised under the high-demand religion of the Southern Baptist Church in the panhandle of Florida, Anhedönia’s early life was marked by rigid structures and expectations from a community that was unaccepting of queer identity. After coming out as gay at the age of 12, and leaving the church at the age of 16, Hayden came out as transgender at the age of 20 [7]. Since then, Hayden has used the medium of music to help reconcile her queerness with her inescapable background of faith and maintained spirituality. These tensions are reflected in her music, combining Southern Gothic imagery with liturgical soundscapes to produce haunting narratives rich in references to Southern Baptist rituals and symbols.Hayden’s debut album, Preacher’s Daughter, presents the fictional narrative of Ethel Cain: a young woman trying to escape the suffocating ties of her family (with a father in a religious position of power both in the Church and over her life) and the Church. Coping through a long line of lovers, Ethel is tragically kidnapped, murdered, and even cannibalized; the album’s final songs are sung from the imagined pits of hell and, in turn, heaven. The album is densely layered with religious symbols, both directly and indirectly, and imagery, painting an image of emotional and spiritual trauma induced by rigid religious environments. Critiquing the traumas induced by her religion, Hayden attempts to distance herself from the organized tradition of her past while redefining and reclaiming a newfound sense of personal faith after it all (which is again reflected in the development of the narrative and the soundscape of the album: starting out hauntingly, then intense, and then soft and reflective).Ethel Cain’s music has resonated deeply with those who have experienced religious trauma and, most notably, queer listeners. Forming their own communities, her music has enabled the visibility and raising of marginalized voices while bringing to light the less mentioned intersectionality of queer identity and spirituality. The thesis of this project argues that Ethel Cain's music, through it's deep-cut and personal deconstructions of Southern Baptist traditions and religious trauma, fosters community for marginalized listeners and inspires support for a re-enchanting, re-worlding reclamation of faith.

Research Methodology:

My main form of firsthand, empirical research was conducted through an online survey (using Google Forms) that was shared across my personal socials as well as, most impactfully, the r/EthelCain subreddit community (Daughters of Cain) on Reddit, an online forum site. Over the course of a week, the form gained a total of 74 responses from fans across the globe (the accessbile format of an online survey leading to geographically inclusive data, covering 5 continents). Sharing basic, yet insightful, demographic information (such as gender, origin, and religious background) as well as long-form personalized responses (aiming to gain holistic perspectives) to questions inquiring religious experiences, interpretations of Ethel’s music, and thoughts on community impact and personal connections to her music. The responses were also nominally anonymous, encouraging honesty and inclusivity towards those who might need or prefer it. This data will be the main form of empirical analysis of communal impact within each section of this project.

In tandem with this data, secondhand data and influence was gathered through various anthropologically academic papers researching Southern culture [1], LGBTQ+ Christian experience [2], and queer theory with religious study [3]. In addition to this academic research, interviews with Hayden were gathered and used as insight for valuable contextual information regarding her own background and artistic intentions. Finally, each section will include contextual lyrical analysis of selections from Preacher's Daughter, treating her lyricism as a form of religious discourse.

II. Southern Baptist Rituals and Religious Imagery

Ethel Cain, Live Performance of "A House In Nebraska"

"Sun Bleached Flies (Original Demo)" Art

Rituals and Symbols of the SBC

The notoriety of the Southern Baptist Church as one of the nation’s largest protestant Christian denominations reigned as the dominant religion of the Southern region with the rise of the Bible Belt in the 19th century [1]. Being a sect of general Baptism, the denomination recognizes two formal rituals: Communion and Baptism. Communion, in which bread and wine are consecrated as sacred objects (representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ), acts as a prescriptive unifying ritual, reinforcing the ideology of Christ’s earthly presence and our embodiment of such. Baptism, a rite of passage ritual, intends to cleanse the sin of the individual and enter them into the Church and with God, serving both purposes of purification and ideology. There is also prayer, which can be formal as in the proceedings of a service, or more informal and emergent, coming from an individual in a time of need or desire to connect with God. It is also worth mentioning that the religious denominations of the South are also made up of Methodists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals; churches being united under both Southern culture and evangelicalism (a Christian belief structure that is very high-demand and scriptural) [1].There exist also pastors or “preachers,” who preach the word of God and His teachings to attendants of the service (although there is an interesting dichotomy between the “Prevailing View” and “Biblical View” of the role of the pastor in the SBC) [4]. In terms of symbols, the expected prevalence of the Christian cross and Christ imagery are present within the Church and its communities.

Lyrical Analysis (SBC Rituals & Symbols)

The influence of these religious symbols and rituals, along with the Southern culturual context from which they emmerge, is highly present throughout Ethel Cain's discography, particularly in the album Preacher's Daughter. Not only is her imagery rich with these visual symbols (see: the album art of Ethel sitting under the photo of Jesus, visualizers with Churches in fields, and the image of the cross highly frequent in her concert venues, photoshoots, and even tattoos), but we also hear auditory reference to these rituals throughout her music. These words, some even being actual recordings of pastors preaching, can serve as religious discourse to be analyzed (particularly in the reasoning behind her inclusions of these symbols and reference to these rituals). Below are some examples (although analysis in other sections will include high symbolism as well): [click and drag playhead for timestamp scrubbing]

Community Survey Data: Geographic, Religious Background, Response to Imagery

Showing a high degree of localized relatability, my survey of 74 Ethel Cain fans revealed interesting trends. First, for geographic background, South USA and (the similar in religious culture) Midwest USA were the highest categories at a combined 32.5% of the data. On religious backgrounds (how they were raised), Christian religions as a whole took the vast majority (followed then by secular) at 74.3%. When broken down to the denominations of the Christian upbringings, Catholic backgrounds took the highest percentage with 33.6%. I believe this points to a trend in fans from backgrounds of very traditional, high-demand demoniations such as Catholicism finding more relatability in the traumas associated with such rigid structures (more on this in Section III). Interestingly, the third highest denomination was Southern Baptist at 8.2% of the 55 Christian backgrounds. This demographic data reveals the highly localized resonance with fans of Ethel Cain, those who have pre-internalized connections with the culture of the region as well as the dominant religions of said regions.

Here are some responses from interviewees when asked, "In your opinion, what purpose do Southern Baptist rituals and imagery serve in Ethel Cain's music?" In summary, there seems to be agreement trending towards Cain's use of religious imagery being both aesthetic and functional, reflecting her own background and connecting with others who can recognize those symbols in their own background, and adding authenticity and strength to the narrative.

[Response identities are listed with the following format: Location, Sexuality/Gender, Religious Background, Current Religious Standing ("Spiritual" is based off the response "I am still spiritual, but no longer identify with how I was raised or with a particular belief system")]

III. Queer Identity and Religious Trauma

LGBTQ+ Discrimination in Southern Religious Institutions

The Southern Baptist Convention has used scripturualism to demoralize and discriminate against LGBTQ+ people since its establishment in 1845. Equating homosexuality as sinful and perverted as pornography, SBC leaders in 2017 deounced LGBTQ+ people as "inconsistent with God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption" [5]. On the topic of transgenderism, a 2012 SBC Annual Meeting passed resolution stating that "gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one’s self-perception—a perception which is often influenced by fallen human nature in ways contrary to God’s design (Ephesians 4:17–18)" [5]. Consistent with their bigotry veiled behind evangelism and scripture, the SBC is not alone in LGBTQ+ discrimination against Queer Southerners. For example, E. Patrick Johnson's book, Sweet Tea, details the experiences of Queer African American men from the South who had to hide their identities to acquire leadership roles within the Church; a struggle between power and resistance as individuals are taught to be shamed and hide their identities to reach acceptance in the community [6].Hayden Anhedönia came out as gay in her youth at 12 years old, then transitioning to become a woman at 20 and now identifies as bisexual [7]. Throughout her artistic journey, she has been adament about elevating the voices of Queer youth who have experienced religious trauma and exclusion. Here, we can see an interview question about a photoshoot she had in which she depicted herself crucified:

CH: I saw you recently hung yourself from a cross, can you tell me about the idea behind the shoot?
EC: You see Jesus up on the cross every morning, and then when you think about what’s going on behind the scenes – how many queer children are you crucifying to save your faith? How many of us are you putting up on that cross so you don’t have to go up there?
(HERO Interview)

Lyrical Analysis (Queer Identity and Religious Trauma)

Not only does Hayden reflect this concern for Queer trauma in her visuals and interviews; but she laces these themes into her lyricism as well, providing further discourse and impact on her Queer and/or traumatized listeners. Not only can her fictionalized depiction of her own childhood, yet now as being raised as a girl like Ethel, be interpreted as a commentary on her own transgender identity (reaffirming her experiences in the accepted cisgender regiments of SBC culture); she also incorporates feelings of queer experience and trauma in her lyrics.

Community Survey Data: Demographics/Identities, Theme Relatability, Religious Exclusion

Of the 74 interviewees, statistical trends in the data pointed to a majority Queer and female demographic. The majority gender identity was cisgender female at 51.4%, although non-cis/trans identities (34%) were higher than cisgender male listeners (14.9%). On sexuality, majority identified as non-heterosexual/LGBT at 86%, with bisexual as the highest of all sub-categories at 39.2% of the total 74 entries. This is particularly interesting on the listener-relatability aspect of Ethel Cain's (Hayden Anhedönia's) impact, as she herself is a bisexual transwoman. It is important to note, however, the 10.8% heterosexual interviewees tended to find more relatability on themes of religious trauma and abuse than with necessarily Queer identity/trauma. This speaks to the scope of relatability in the themes Cain presents in her music, not necessarily only (although statistically dominantly), to Queer listeners.

Long form responses had great diversity in terms of perspective, with majority of interviewees responding yes in some form to the question: "Have you ever felt isolated or excluded by your religious community due to your gender or sexual identity? If so, has Ethel Cain’s music helped you navigate these feelings?" Interestingly, Response 22 notes the lack of exclusion on the basis of queerness in her Buddhist Malaysian background. While British Response 37 has not experienced exclusion herself, she notes observing it with a peer. And in a story close to home to the contexts of Ethel Cain, Southern Baptist-background Response 50 notes a story of lost love and forced seclusion. Overall, most queer individuals who knew they were queer while involved in religion stated they felt exclusion, with some not feeling it as they did not come out until after leaving said religion. Another subgroup of queer responders note that they did not feel exclusion as they were not involved in religion in the first place (or, not Queer in the first place).

[Response identities are listed with the following format: Location, Sexuality/Gender, Religious Background, Current Religious Standing ("Spiritual" is based off the response "I am still spiritual, but no longer identify with how I was raised or with a particular belief system")]

IV. Community Formation

Photos by Patrick Gunning (Left) and Sam Wilkie (Right)

Communitas Through Performance Participation

Ethel Cain has ammassed hundreds of thousands of fans in her last few years of performing; completing two headliner tours, three supporting tours, and attending twenty-eight music festivals. Spotify reports that she currently has just over 3 million monthly listeners on the platform [8]. Through live performance, Cain excels in immersing the audience with each other through group participation in singing along, as well as through forming personal connections with singular members of the front rows (reminiscent of a Church worship service, with emotional individuals getting more attention) [example clips below]. These behaviors are signalling of the communitas concept of anthropology, in which an intimate sense of emotion and thought is experienced as a group, offering feelings of belonging and purpose. In addition to her inclusive live performances, Hayden has been notably active on her own online forums, such as the r/EthelCain subreddit and Tumblr account, as well as holding livestreams on social media where she interacts with fans further.

Lyrical Analysis (Community)

In addition to her interaction with fans, Cain's discography can be read to include many themes of loneliness and yearning for connection (both in terms of love and community). These themes are often tied to religious ideologies, as she cites instances of loneliness from religious exclusion as well as community with the Church. Listed below are a few lyrical examples of this discourse from her main album, Preacher's Daughter.

Community Survey Data (On Sense of Community):

Statistically, out of the 74 interviewees, majority responded "Yes" to the question "Do you feel a sense of community among other fans of Ethel Cain’s music, particularly around themes of religious trauma and queer identity?" (82.4% voting "Yes", and 17.6% voting "No"). It is important to note that many who voted "No" cited their reasoning as not specifically around themes of trauma and queerness, or from simply not interacting with online or in-person fans very much, simply enjoying her music individually.

When presented the follow-up long form question, "If yes, in what ways? Please fill "Other" section to elaborate," there was a trend in acknowledgment of online spaces as critical in respondants perception of community around Ethel Cain (citing participation on Reddit, Tumblr, as well as Youtube comment sections). To remain inclusive, one of the "No" responses was also included (Response 40), who cites not feeling as connected with other fans. Overall, users tend to agree that Ethel Cain's music fosters a sense of community, particularly around themes of trauma, abuse, and Queer identity.

[Response identities are listed with the following format: Location, Sexuality/Gender, Religious Background, Current Religious Standing ("Spiritual" is based off the response "I am still spiritual, but no longer identify with how I was raised or with a particular belief system")]

V. Healing and Faith Reclamation

Photo by Charles Russo

Photo by Lorianne Willett

Gay Spirituality

It is often that, due to histories of discrimination, religiously traumatized Queer people and scripturalist fundamentalist Christians make the agreement that there is no coexistence of spiritual and queer identities (due to exclusion from leadership roles or forced disguise of self) [6]. However, utilizing a lived religion approach, there is a growing movement of faith reclamation in the Queer community, notably of individuals who had previously been raised in and ostracized by their religious communities. For example, one such drag activist group, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, combines Catholic imagery with drag in order to raise money for charity and, according to their Los Angeles chapter, "[bring] about a better understanding of gay spirituality" [3].

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Nancy Wilson, in her book, Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible, makes the case for LGBTQ+ Christians in the following statement:

"I believe that it is essential for gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals to take back the Bible. If we are not included among the stories and characters of the Bible, then it cannot be our book. It is also important for heterosexuals not to see the Bible monolithically either but to see the people of the Bible as they must have been: as varied and complex in their sexuality as human beings are today. As gay and lesbian biblical scholars come out, do the scholarship, and pay the price, the texts will be healed. Meanwhile, we must boldly begin to ask the questions, make suggestions, and go too far" (Wilson, 164) [6].

Lyrical Analysis (Healing and Faith Reclamation)

If Ethel Cain's lyricism simply pointed towards the traumas experienced by margianalized individuals in evangelical churches, without providing the comfort of resoultion, reclamation, and healing, her music would not resonate as strong as it does with fans. That being said, notably in the conclusive tracks of the album, Cain processes her traumas and accepts them from the perspective of her own death and residence in the Christian afterlife. Below are more in depth examples of healing sentiments from an affirmed afterlife.

Sun Bleached Flies: But I always knew that in the end no one was coming to save me / So I just prayed and I keep praying and praying and praying / If it’s meant to be, then it will be / I forgive it all as it comes back to me.
(04:02 - 04:53)Not only this song as a whole, but this passage held high resonance with the interviewees when asked which song has impacted them the most (the last line being a popular tattoo among fans). Ethel realizes that in the end she cannot depend on the list of lovers or her estranged family in her time of crisis, and so chooses to now use prayer in a positive, comforting aspect. "If it's meant to be, then it will be" provides a classic comforting thought of predetermination from a higher power, while "I forgive it all as it comes back to me" presents a cathartically healing sentiment of embracing your past and moving on from trauma.

Community Survey Data (Spirituality and Healing):

One of the most notable points of numeric data I found was the percentages of the 74 interviewees regarding their current stances with faith/religion/belief (specifically, with respect to how they were raised, usually under a more formalized religion). The data revealed that the highest category was Spiritual ("I am still spiritual, but no longer identify with how I was raised or with a particular belief system") at 49%, followed by Not Identifying with Belief/Non-religious at 35.4%. This trend shows that majority of fans interviewed, at a combined total of 84.4%, were distanced from the religion they were raised with (however, interestingly, with more still holding on to spirituality in some form). When polled on "Do you feel that Ethel Cain’s music has helped you reflect on or reshape your own relationship with religion?", the bar graph reveals that most felt positively affected (44.6%), followed by not having changed their view at second most (31.1%). This numeric data reveals that Ethel Cain's music has a mostly positive impact on fans' own relationships with religion, potentially leading to the highest category of fans falling under "Spiritual" (however disconnected from traditional religion).

The final question of the survey, entailing a long-form response, was "What aspects of Ethel Cain’s music, if any, do you find healing or empowering?" For those who have remained spiritual, there was common ground that the exposure to religious symbols and rituals by Ethel Cain's music was inspiring in reconnecting with past faith. Others, not resonating as much with themes of religious trauma or even queer identity, find healing aspects in many of her songs regarding topics of family and sexual abuse (most notably in the tracks "Sun Bleached Flies," "Hard Times," and "Strangers").

[Response identities are listed with the following format: Location, Sexuality/Gender, Religious Background, Current Religious Standing ("Spiritual" is based off the response "I am still spiritual, but no longer identify with how I was raised or with a particular belief system")]

VI. Conclusion

Ethel Cain’s music serves as a vehicle for deconstructing Southern Baptist traditions, critiquing religious trauma, and fostering community for marginalized queer listeners. This case study reveals how the power of relatability and representation in music, with people of different backgrounds relating in different ways (through only some or all themes of religious trauma, queer identity, Southern culture, and strained family dynamics). The community survey data I gathered was also eye-opening to the span of themes that offer relatability to a diversely experienced group of listeners: from heterosexual individuals who survived abuse, to queer youth ostracized by their religious community, to many more variations revealed by the data. While some individuals were directly from the South and raised under the Southern Baptist Convention, just as Hayden Anhedönia was, individuals of other denominations found relatability and universality in her use of Christian rituals and symbols.I, personally, as a gay male raised Lutheran and now spiritual, find huge comfort in her music along themes of trauma and journeys of healing. Throughout the surveying and research process, I found myself connecting with others with backgrounds similar to my own and even reigniting my own spiritual thoughts through those connections. Her music brings to light the power of spiritual re-enchantment and healing for marginalized communities through art as a form of religious discourse. Through intimate and sometimes subverted displays of familiar symbols and rituals, she elevates the voices of the excluded, the traumatized, and the less often spoken of intersectional community of spiritual queer people.As a final note, here is a clip of Ethel Cain herself speaking on the power of music to inspire re-worlded spirituality and, as she calls it, "proximity to God."

Ethel Cain, "the ring, the great dark, and proximity to god"
(edited by TikTok user @ceciliaacainn)

VII. References