Blog
Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune offers analysis and commentary on issues that concern the work of FaithTrust Institute.
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Guest Blog: Sharing the Torch: Intergenerational Cooperation
Feb 18, 2020Not too long ago, when I was first learning the ins and outs of Anita Hill’s testimony against Clarence Thomas and the “Year of the Woman,” I called my mom and asked what she remembered about it all. I was just a toddler in 1992; my mom was a camera woman at the local NBC affiliate—a boys’ club. Despite having worked at a news station, she didn’t remember much about the hearings or how many women joined the Senate (4) or the House of Representatives (24) the next year. What she did remember were her coworkers’ unwanted kisses, the sexist comments, and that time she threatened to quit her job, while pregnant, because of the perpetual sexual harassment she endured at the station.
Guest Blog: Hope in the Research #5
Jan 07, 2020In this blog post, Rev. James Evinger highlights some recent research trends, including the emergence of new voices, nationally and internationally, that are expanding the conversation about clergy abuse, its impact, and congregational responses. Since 1995, Rev. Evinger has reviewed materials and updated the Annotated Bibliography of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Sexual Boundary Violations in Religious Communities. This huge undertaking has provided an extraordinary resource for scholars and researchers, as well as those seeking to address the needs of survivors.
Guest Blog: Hope in the Research, #4
Jun 26, 2019Since 1995, Rev. James Evinger has reviewed materials and updated the Annotated Bibliography of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Sexual Boundary Violations in Religious Communities. This huge undertaking has provided an extraordinary resource for scholars and researchers, as well as those seeking to address the needs of survivors. In this blogpost, Rev. Evinger highlights some of the recent international research trends related to addressing clergy abuse, child sexual abuse, and national and institutional responses.
Guest Blog: Pope's 'New' Approach Makes No Sense
Jun 03, 2019 — Categories: Clergy Ethics, Christian, Sexual Abuse by ClergyThis guest blog by Mary Dispenza, NW Directory of SNAP, discusses the failures of the new Vatican policy on reporting sexual abuse.
Guest Blog: Hope in the Research, #3
Nov 14, 2018Since 2008, FaithTrust generously has posted a continuing document I compile, Annotated Bibliography of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Sexual Boundary Violations in Religious Communities. Intended as extensive and broad, the Bibliography, as of the semi-annual update of November, 2018, includes 80+ additions. It is now 1,710 pages, excluding the Introduction. From the new entries, four themes which deserve attention are identified below.
Guest Blog: The Moment It Suddenly Became Personal
Nov 07, 2018It was a special day. It was the day of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s funeral. It was going to be televised on a Saturday and I was poised to watch the funeral no matter how long the services lasted. I taped every channel I thought would be airing her funeral and basically cleared my day so that I could watch the funeral live and listen to all the deserving tributes in word and song from her family, friends, and professional colleagues. It would be a history making day.
Notes on Men’s Anger and Women’s Truth
Oct 08, 2018The performance put on by Brett Kavanagh last week was a sterling display of white male privilege. Watching as his nomination to the Supreme Court was slipping from his fingers in the face of the credible testimony of Dr. Blasey Ford, his calculated response was to lash out at the “unfair” process. He got to do that with seeming impunity because he is a privileged white man.
Please Proclaim from the Housetops
Aug 21, 2018 — Categories: Clergy Ethics, Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse by Clergy“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.” (Matthew 10:26-7) This is what justice looks like. We are getting a glimpse of it with the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on child sexual abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses.
Southern Baptist #ChurchToo
May 30, 2018 — Categories: Clergy Ethics, Christian, Sexual Violence, Domestic ViolenceAs the #MeToo/#ChurchToo movement continues to echo through faith communities, there is news from the Southern Baptist Convention. Southern Baptist leaders over the years have not only ignored sexual and domestic violence suffered by its members but many have actively excused and rationalized men’s violence towards women often with erroneous biblical proof texting. But it appears time may be up.
Guest Blog: Hope in the Research, Part 2
May 02, 2018 — Categories: Clergy Ethics, Sexual Abuse by Clergy, MultifaithSince 2008, FaithTrust generously has posted on its website a continuing document I compile, Annotated Bibliography of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Sexual Boundary Violations in Religious Communities. Intended to be extensive and broad, the bibliography, as of the semi-annual update of May 1, 2018, is now 1,660+ pages. From the new entries in this 32nd update, the following are notable themes in the literature which deserve attention...
Kings, Queens, and #MeToo: A Sermon for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Apr 10, 2018 — Categories: Christian, Sexual ViolenceHow many of you remember learning about Bathsheba in Sunday School or Bible class? Well, what I remember about Bathsheba was that she had tempted King David, causing him to sin. She was held up as the antithesis to Christian womanhood. I carried that notion until I was in seminary and read II Samuel for myself. The picture I saw there was very different. One thing I noticed immediately was that in the text we never hear Bathsheba’s voice. We hear David’s voice; we even hear Bathsheba’s husband’s voice. But never her voice.
How Long? A Psalm of Lament
Mar 29, 2018How long, O God? How long must we wait? How long must we wait for a sweet cool drink of justice?
Guest Blog: Shame on Pope Francis for Casting Doubt on Clergy-Abuse Victims
Jan 31, 2018 — Categories: Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse by ClergyThis Op-Ed by our friend and colleague Mary Dispenza was published in the Seattle Times on January 26, 2018. Mary is allowing us to share it here with you. In scripture we find the lines, “If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Survivors of clerical sex abuse are tired of turning the other cheek — tired of lies and promises, especially by popes, who through the ages have formed commission after commission, held conference after conference, issued report after report, and made promise after promise.
No More "Me, Too's" {Part 2}
Jan 16, 2018 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against Women, Sexual ViolenceAt the recent Golden Globe Awards, the Cecile B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement was received by Oprah Winfrey. In her response, Oprah “preached.” And I mean she really preached! In her remarks, she called forth Recy Taylor, a young wife and mother on her way home from church who was kidnapped in 1944 in Alabama by 6 white men. Taylor was gang raped and left by the side of the road. She reported to the police who, even in the face of confessions from several of the men, never indicted anyone. She went to the NAACP for help and her case was assigned to an advocate, Rosa Parks. The NAACP proceeded to organize a national campaign in support of Mrs. Taylor to no avail.
That Was Then; This Is Now {Part 1}
Nov 14, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against Women, Sexual ViolenceNo. This excuse for sexual harassment, abuse, and assault simply won’t fly, although it is being used on a number of fronts by powerful men who have finally been called out on their “misbehaviors” from the ‘70’s until today. The list of abusive men grows longer each day. Literally. I can’t keep up. Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, Roy Moore, et al. From Hollywood producers, actors, and directors, to politicians, to popular journalists and editors, to respected professors, to John Howard Yoder, the prominent 20thcentury Mennonite theologian, this generation of powerful men seem to take the “back in the day” approach: it was okay then, so why isn’t it still okay to sexually harass, abuse, and assault?
Twenty-First Century Truth-Telling and the Reformation
Oct 31, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, ChristianThis week is highlighted in many quarters by a celebration of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses which challenged the Roman Catholic Church. Mostly Luther denounced the corruption he saw in the church and the selling of indulgences, described by some as “get out of purgatory free cards.” But historically there is no argument that his protests in medieval German shifted the axis of The Church and signaled the split in Christianity that later became Protestantism.
Guest Blog: Hope in the Research
Oct 12, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, Clergy Ethics, Sexual Abuse by ClergyBy Rev. James S. Evinger — Since 2008, FaithTrust generously has posted on its website a document I compile, Annotated Bibliography of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Sexual Boundary Violations in Religious Communities. Intended to be extensive and broad, the bibliography, as of the semi-annual update of October 11, 2017, is now over 1,600 pages. Here are four emergent themes in the recent (last five years) literature which deserve attention from those who support FaithTrust’s mission.
Order More Millstones...
Sep 07, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, Child Abuse, Sexual ViolenceBrentwood Academy is an elite, non-denominational Christian, college prep school in a Nashville suburb. A civil lawsuit has been filed by a mother on behalf of her teen-aged son who was a sixth grade student at Brentwood in 2014-15. The suit alleges that the sixth grader was bullied and raped repeatedly by an 8th grade student in the locker room while other boys held him down and watched. The suit further alleges that the school knew and did not report to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services as required by law.
When Child Rape Leads to Marriage
Jun 13, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, Child Abuse, Sexual Violence“When she was a scrawny 11-year-old, Sherry Johnson found out one day that she was about to be married to a 20-year-old member of her church who had raped her. ‘It was forced on me,’she recalls. She had become pregnant, she says, and child welfare authorities were investigating — so her family and church officials decided the simplest way to avoid a messy criminal case was to organize a wedding.” -Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times. Not in Afghanistan or Sudan or the Philippines. In Florida. In the 21st century. In the church or at least a church. A child is raped, becomes pregnant as a result, and the “solution” to this problem is to force her to marry her rapist. How can a church even begin to affirm and bless this kind of “marriage”? I wonder if the rapist also paid the child’s father 50 shekels of silver (see Deuteronomy 22:28)?
Has Nothing Changed?
Apr 28, 2017 — Categories: Current Events, Sexual ViolenceAs Sexual Assault Awareness and Action Month draws to a close, we might pause to consider where we are. Thirty years ago, Catherine MacKinnon said, “The fact is, anything that anybody with power experiences as sex is considered ipso facto not violence, [i.e. not wrong] because someone who matters enjoyed it.”
