Up next on the Need to Know season of The Right Side Up podcast, we discuss clergy sexual abuse. This episode includes content that may be difficult to hear for some people, so we encourage you to listen to your body as you engage with this important topic. Our guests are book-contributors Lori Anne Thompson and Angela Lam. Lori Anne shares her personal journey of writing about her experiences with clergy abuse, the challenges of confronting such trauma, and the importance of sharing narratives to foster understanding and empathy. Angela speaks to the role of church leadership in addressing abuse, the bravery of survivors, and the need for systemic change within religious institutions. We reflect on the significance of spiritual reckoning, accountability, and the hope for healing and resurrection amidst darkness.

Show Notes

Link to order the book: Need to Know: Empowering Female Leadership and Why It’s Essential for the Future of the Church

Recommended Resources On Clergy Sexual Abuse

Limited Series

Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime : while showcasing an very conservative strain of Christianity, the subtlety of spiritual manipulation, the effects of purity culture and the “group think” that allows/protects abuse to happen in plain sight are seen in far broader contexts in modern evangelical Christianity

Keep Sweet, Pray & Obey on Netflix: speaks to the coercive power of religious authority and the compliance training women especially have been subjected to. This series is a radical case of both but this actually makes it easier to see. The same roots of these things (coercive power and compliance training of women) are deeply embedded in the dynamics we’re seeing play out in all Christian denominations

The Secrets of Hillsong by FX on Hulu: demonstrates the systemic nature of how abuses of various types are normalized to such a degree that the general populace is somewhat inoculated to seeing it.

BooksThe #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct#ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find HealingA Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power & Promotes HealingRedeeming Power: Understanding Authority & Abuse in the ChurchWhen Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional and Spiritual Abuse

Websites

http://www.clergysexualmisconduct.com/http://www.adultsabusedbyclergy.org/https://www.hagarsvoice.com/

Articles

Clergy Sexual Abuse as Moral Injury: Confronting a Wounded and Wounding ChurchDisabusing the Church (the value of trauma-informed churches)

Social Media Feeds

https://www.instagram.com/religious.harm.recovery/https://www.instagram.com/restoredvoicescollective/https://www.instagram.com/brokentobeloved/

episode keywords

clergy abuse, personal narrative, resilience, faith, accountability, survivors, church leadership, trauma, healing, hope

takeaways

* Writing about trauma requires descending into painful experiences.

* Identifying with the crucified Christ helps in understanding clergy abuse.

* Sharing personal narratives can cultivate empathy in others.

* Bravery in confronting abuse often comes with immense personal cost.

* Church leadership must prioritize accountability over self-protection.

* Systemic change is necessary to address the culture of abuse.

* Spiritual reckoning is essential for healing within the church.

* Understanding betrayal trauma is crucial for recognizing abuse.

* Hope and resurrection can emerge from the darkest experiences.

* Leaders are invited to break ranks and stand with survivors.

Sound Bites

* "Writing was an ascent into an incredibly dark and painful personal hell."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:59 Angela Lam's contributions and background

06:18 Lori Anne Thompson's Lived Experience and Contribution to the Book

11:17 Reading an Impactful Excerpt from Lori Anne Thompson's Chapter

14:36 The Power of Narrative and Identifying with the Crucified Christ

23:31 The Shift in Public Response and the Importance of Media Coverage

25:17 Encouragement for Survivors and Allies

29:00 Breaking Ranks: Challenging the Status Quo

38:42 The Crucifixion of Jesus: Exposing Systems of Evil

55:37 The Invitation to Stand with Jesus: Finding Hope in Resurrection

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