Abstract
Theology in a Post-Traumatic Church offers the kind of theological reflection the church needs at this moment: trauma-informed, victim-centered, constructive theological discourse on the horrors of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up. To editor John Sheveland’s credit, the nine essays in this volume do not provide a cohesive or definitive way forward, but rather offer multifaceted perspectives arising from the subdisciplines of liturgical, biblical, systematic, and practical theology, as well from clinical psychology.
Within this diversity of approaches, the contributors of this volume seem to share several critical starting points. Fundamentally, they share both a belief that the church has not fully attended to the lived realities and harms of victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up, and an acknowledgement that much more theological reflection needs to be done on this tragedy. In the introduction, S. makes the point that the church’s turn to synodality is a special imperative to uplift the voices of victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse, rendering the work of these authors especially urgent. Synodality’s space for truth-telling and listening is a necessary response to the egregious crimes of clergy abuse made worse by the fact that these crimes were not only ignored, but also covered up. S. also notes in the introduction that Jennifer Beste’s chapter corrects a common misconception around what the book means when it refers to the trauma of the church. Beste makes the point that talk about the abuse crisis in the church often reflects a tendency present in the wider culture to use the term “trauma” broadly. Beste disagrees with this, arguing that attributing trauma to the entire church, including the hierarchy, actually undermines the severe pain of victim-survivors and runs the risk of eliminating moral responsibility from church leadership. From these starting points, each chapter unfolds with distinctive perspectives, important concerns, and trenchant questions.
Many chapters call attention to the immense harm of clergy abuse and its cover-up and identify factors that contributed to the crisis. The volume begins focused on victim-survivors with clinical psychologist Heather Banis proposing principles for victim assistance ministry that arise from her experiences as Victims Assistance Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and her work walking with a victim-survivor, “Joe.” Later, through careful scriptural exegesis of Psalms 55 and 88 in light of victim-survivors’ experiences, Linda Schearing offers biblical resources for lamenting the profound harms of clergy abuse. Cristina Lledo Gomez provides insightful theological reflection on abuse in light of organizational theory’s notion of the vulnerabilities imposed by a “total institution” (122). And B. Kevin Brown condemns clericalism as social sin derived from a system of domination rooted in bias.
This volume offers no easy answers. Hope for healing and institutional change, and what they may look like, take many forms. Sheveland champions not only safeguarding and prevention, but also cultivating a “culture of attunement” (23). Scott R. A. Starbuck provides an exegesis of Isaiah fitting for those survivors seeking a personal connection with God through scriptures that speak to the possibility of healing and agency after a betrayal by a religious institution. Brown encourages a vision of the clergy-lay relationship that is nondominant. Fernando Ortiz draws out the role and impact of seminary formation and its potential to support clerical “human formation” (193): holistic formation that encourages seminarians to build emotional, spiritual, and community resources that can especially combat narcissism. Ortiz points out that abuse often occurs many years after seminary. It seems, then, that seminary formation could even be expanded to support ongoing clerical formation. And Joseph C. Mudd explores community-based ways to reimagine the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick in order to bring accountability and healing to the harms of clergy abuse.
The volume also presents practical strategies to prevent harm and center victim-survivors’ stories that can be implemented now. Sheveland calls for praying for victims of clergy sexual abuse during the prayers of the faithful at mass, and even provides different types of language for doing so. For seminaries worried about the harm of narcissism mixed with clericalism, Ortiz presents risk factors for narcissism that can be identified by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). And to truly grieve in solidarity with the victim-survivors of clergy abuse, Schearing raises the possibility of “liturgies lamenting this crisis” (167).
Each author shares a commitment to theologies centered on victim-survivors and a belief that only when we raise up these voices and let their stories permeate the church can she truly respond with integrity. In his forward, Hans Zollner, SJ, articulates his hope for this work, which many readers will share: “Personally, I hope this anthology will stimulate further theological reflection and influence church leaders in their actions—especially with regard to listening to victims, even the most angry and disillusioned ones” (xi).