This important work analyses abuse in Christian institutions. It focuses on the intersection of power, sexuality, and theology through the lens of institutional dynamics and ethics. Rather than examining the pastor-parishioner relationship or the professor-student relationship in isolation, Penner and Buttrey address the influence of factors such as church governance, institutional norms and policies, social privilege, charismatic leadership, mass media and theological doctrine.
This book contributes to a wider conversation about institutional ethics, theology, and sexual abuse with a commitment to the well-being of all and undergirded by an intersectional theory of power.