Spoils of the Kingdom : clergy misconduct and religious community / Anson Shupe ; introduction by A.W. Richard Sipe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shupe, Anson D.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Clergy--Professional ethics--United States--History.

Clergy.

Crime--Religious aspects--Christianity--History.

Crime.

Social exchange--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Social exchange.

Crime--Religious aspects--Christianity.

History.

Clergy--Professional ethics.

United States.

Physical Description:

xxviii, 148 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2007]

Summary:

In Spoils of the Kingdom, Anson Shupe investigates clergy misconduct as it has recently unfolded across five faith-based groups. Looking at episodes of abuse in the Roman Catholic, Mormon, African American Protestant, white Evangelical Protestant, and First Nations communities, Spoils of the Kingdom tackles hard questions not only about the sexual abuse of women and children, but also about economic frauds perpetrated by church leaders (including embezzlement, misrepresented missions, and outright theft) as well as cases of excessively authoritarian control of members' health, lifestyles, employment, and politics. Drawing on case evidence, Shupe employs classical and modern social exchange theories to explain the institutional dynamics of clergy misconduct. He argues that there is an implicit contract of reciprocity and compliance between congregants and religious leaders that, when amplified by the charismatic awe often associated with religious authorities, can lead to misconduct.

Contents:

Communities of faith and clergy malfeasance in modern times

The logic of social exchange theory and clergy malfeasance

The iron law of clergy elitism

Authenticity lost : faith and victimization

Reactance, crime, and sin.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 125-141) and index.

ISBN:

9780252031595

0252031598

OCLC:

72697800