The marginalization of any group of people is a tragedy which diminishes all of humanity. And within any marginalized community, a further tragedy occurs whenever a person embraces or conforms to her own oppression. Within the church, many women learn from the earliest age to do exactly that, denying themselves space, a voice, their own power, etc. The narratives surrounding women are strong, and can convince even the abused that their abuse is somehow justified, natural, fitting... even necessary.

Fighting those narratives is costly – and yet essential – to those who suffer because of them.

The Christian tradition has pretty consistently been on this wavelength of abuse, and has constructed its house within these inequalities, binaries, and compulsions.

Whether one remains a person of faith or not, it's a house that needs to burn down. And many are rising from its ashes.