Surviving God: A New Vision of God through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors
About this ebook
Many books have dealt with sexual abuse scandals in the church and the role of pastoral care for survivors. Others have provided liberatory readings of biblical texts to support survivors of sexual violence. Surviving God takes a new approach, centering the voices of sexual abuse survivors while rethinking key Christian beliefs. Starting from experiences of oppression, beliefs that contribute to oppression are challenged, and new, hopeful, and healing beliefs take their place.
Groundbreaking theologians Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw, each a survivor herself, demonstrate how traditional ways of thinking about God are highly problematic, contribute to the problems of sexual abuse, and are not reflective of the God of love and justice at the heart of the gospel. These long-held theologies often perpetuate the problem of sexual abuse and fail to promote healing for survivors. Drawing from their own experiences and the experiences of other survivors, and centering the ways gender intersects with race, sexuality, class, and religion, Kim and Shaw lead us to deep healing and a transformed church that no longer contributes to the devastation of sexual abuse. In these inspiring pages, you will discover new ways of thinking about God that are surprising, challenging, and empowering.
About the author
Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books,?most recently Spirit Life; Invisible; and Intersectional Theology. She has served on the American Academy of Religion's board of directors, is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and is the host of the Madang podcast from The Christian Century. Kim writes for Baptist News Global, Sojourners, and Faith and Leadership and has published in TIME, The Huffington Post, The Christian Century, US Catholic Magazine, and The Nation. She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Rev. Dr. Susan M. Shaw is professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at Oregon State University. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, including Intersectional Theology and Gendered Voices, Feminist Visions. She has also written for The Huffington Post, The Conversation, and Inside Higher Education. Shaw is a founding coeditor of ADVANCE Journal, an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal on institutional transformation, gender equity, intersectionality, and social justice in higher education, especially STEM. An ordained Baptist minister who makes her church home in the UCC, she lives in Corvallis, Oregon.
