Bad pastors : clergy misconduct in modern America / edited by Anson Shupe, William A. Stacey, and Susan E. Darnell.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Shupe, Anson D.

Stacey, William A.

Darnell, Susan E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Clergy--Professional ethics--United States--Case studies.

Clergy.

Crime--Religious aspects--Christianity--Case studies.

Crime.

Crime--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Clergy--Professional ethics.

United States.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xi, 256 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, [2000]

Summary:

Child-molesting priests, embezzled church treasures, philandering ministers and rabbis, even church-endorsed pyramid schemes that defraud gullible parishioners of millions of dollars: for the past decade, clergy misconduct has seemed continually to be in the news.

Is there something about religious organizations that fosters such misbehavior? Bad Pastors presents a range of new perspectives and solidly grounded data on pastoral abuse, investigating sexual misconduct, financial improprieties, and political and personal abuse of authority. Rather than focusing on individuals who misbehave, the volume investigates whether the foundation for clergy malfeasance is inherent in religious organizations themselves, stemming from hierarchies of power in which trusted leaders have the ability to define reality, control behavior, and even offer or withhold the promise of immortality. Arguing that such phenomena arise out of organizational structures, the contributors do not focus on one particular religion, but rather treat these incidents from an interfaith perspective.

Bad Pastors moves beyond individual case studies to consider a broad range of issues surrounding clergy misconduct, from violence against women to the role of charisma and abuse of power in new religious movements. Highlighting similarities between other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence, the volume helps us to conceptualize and understand clergy misconduct in new ways.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Recognizing Clergy Malfeasance and Abrogation of Religious Authority / Anson Shupe, William A. Stacey, Susan E. Darnell 1

Part I How Shall We Name It?

2 Issues in Conceptualizing Clergy Malfeasance / Anson Shupe, Peter Iadicola 13

3 Narratives of Sexual Danger: A Comparative Perspective on the Emergence of the Clergy Sexual Violation Scandal / David G. Bromley, Clinton H. Cress 39

4 Has the Silence Been Shattered or Does a Holy Hush Still Prevail? Defining Violence against Women within Christian Churches / Nancy Nason-Clark 69

5 Guide to Enlightenment of Strayed Shepherds? The Problems of Claimed Clergy Malfeasance in Interreligious Perspective / James V. Spickard 90

Part II Responding to Accusations of Clergy Malfeasance

6 Charisma, Male Entitlement, and the Abuse of Power / Janet L. Jacobs 113

7 The Politics of a Sexual Harassment Case / Ronald R. Stockton 131

8 Is Abuse about Truth or Story ... or Both? One Intentional Community's Painful Experiences with False Accusations / Jon Trott 155

Part III Monitoring Clergy Malfeasance

9 How Much Clergy Malfeasance Is Really Out There? A Victimization Survey of Prevalence and Perceptions / William A. Stacey, Susan E. Darnell, Anson Shupe 187

10 Clergy Malfeasance, Victimization, and National/Local Awareness: Their Effects on Church Attendance and Financial Giving / William A. Stacey, Anson Shupe, Susan E. Darnell 214

11 Incidence and Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse / Andrew M. Greeley 241

12 The Future of Clergy Abuse/Malfeasance Research / Anson Shupe 249.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0814781470

0814781462

OCLC:

43929772