An essential source for understanding clergy sexual abuse | Spoils of the Kingdom: Clergy Misconduct and...

book: Spoils of the Kingdom: Clergy Misconduct and Religious Community | Anson Shupe

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	• Spoils of the Kingdom: Clergy Misconduct and Religious Community Anson Shupe University of Illinois Press, 2007 - 184 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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Excellent Resource

This book was recently recommended to me. I read it on the plane as I journeyed to meetings. I found it to be a wealth of information and insights. While not surprised at much of what I was reading, I found the statistics, resources, insights and information not readily found in news reports to be extremely helpful to me.

For anyone who wants a better understanding of the problems affecting not just the Catholic Church, but churches and institutions across the board, this is a must-read.

I intend to use insights I gleaned from this book in future workshops I am doing on these issues.

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An essential source for understanding clergy sexual abuse

Shupe has written about clergy malfeasance before. His first book, "In the Name of All That's Holy" proved to be a brilliant and easily understood analysis of clergy abuse with emphasis on clergy sexual abuse. His latest book is his best yet. It takes the reader even deeper into the mystery of why a Church would allow unspeakable abuse of its own members. Shupe cuts to the heart of the nature of organized religion and shows how it can be at odds with its spiritual roots. Anyone who seeks to comprehend the reasons behind clergy abuse especially Catholic clergy abuse must read this book.

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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 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.

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