Shattering the Illusion: Child Sexual Abuse and Canadian Religious Institutions
About this ebook
In the foreword, Tracey J. Trothen summarizes the Cornwall Inquiry, out of which this book arose. She then examines the Roman Catholic Church, The United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church, the Mennonite Church, Islam, and the Canadian Unitarian Council/Unitarian Universalist Association, describing in detail the evolution and particular content of policies and procedures that address child sexual abuse complaints directed at paid and volunteer faith community representatives and/ or leaders. She identifies differences and common themes among the approaches taken by the institutions and provides a summary table for an accessible comparative overview.
Child sexual abuse is not new, but the emergence of policies to address abuse complaints within religious institutions is. This book identifies significant and shared causal factors behind the emergence of policy and reviews their content carefully. This review will serve as a significant tool for furthering the development of such policies.
About the author
Tracy J. Trothen is an associate professor of theology and ethics at Queen’s School of Religion, Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. She is the author of over twenty scholarly publications, including Linking Sexuality and Gender: Naming Violence against Women in The United Church of Canada (WLU Press, 2003). Her more recent publications are concerned with the intersections of sport, technology, and religion.
