The #MeToo Reckoning

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What to expect

“It happened to me too. Does God care?”

The #MeToo movement has revealed sexual abuse and assault in every sphere of society, including the church. But victims are routinely ignored by fellow Christians who deny their accounts and fail to bring accountability to the perpetrators. All too often, churches have been complicit in protecting abusers, reinforcing patriarchal power dynamics, and creating cultures of secrecy, shame, and silence.

Pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart shines a light on the prevalence of sexual abuse and misconduct within faith communities. She candidly discloses stories of how she and others have experienced assault in church settings, highlighting the damage done to individuals, families, and communities.

Everhart offers hope to survivors as she declares that God is present with the violated and stands in solidarity with victims. Scriptural narratives like those of Tamar and Bathsheba carry powerful resonance in today’s context, as do the accounts of Jesus’ interactions with women. God is at work in the midst of this #MeToo moment to call the church to repentance and deliver us from violence against the vulnerable.

Critics Review

  • “In her remarkable clarion call for change, Ruth Everhart reminds religious leaders tempted to view #MeToo as a dismissible modern political movement that variations of ‘me too’ have echoed off the walls of the church since its foundation. This book begs us all to answer the question: How much longer will we shut our ears to the voice of God heard in the cries of ‘the least of these’?”

    Linda Kay Klein, author of Pure
  • “The #MeToo Reckoning is a critical warning shot across the bow of Christendom that I pray will help wake us up before it’s too late.”

    Boz Tchividjian, abuse attorney and founder, GRACE
  • “Boldly calls for communal repentance and change.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)
  • “Ruth Everhart diagnoses the unchecked power, patriarchy, and shallow forms of forgiveness that plague many Christian communities grappling with abuse. She also points to the cure: a better, more biblical practice of justice for victims. May this book ensure that more victims’ cries for justice are finally heard.”

    Katelyn Beaty, author of A Woman's Place
  • “Ruth Everhart writes with great insight and passion. She shines a steady, penetrating light on sexual abuse in the church. Alas, this book is entirely necessary.”

    Neal Plantinga, author of Not the Way It's Supposed to Be
  • “Pulling back the curtain on the mishandling of sexual abuse within Protestant churches, this incisive work from Presbyterian pastor Everhart boldly calls for communal repentance and change…Everhart’s unsparing analysis will be helpful for both ministers and lay readers who are concerned about sexual abuse.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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