The #Metoo Reckoning - by Ruth Everhart (Paperback)

About the Book

The #MeToo movement has revealed sexual abuse in every sphere of society, including the church. But all too often, churches have been complicit in protecting abusers, reinforcing patriarchal power dynamics, and creating cultures of secrecy, shame, and silence. Disclosing candid stories of abuse, pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart offers God's hope to survivors while shining a light on the prevalence of sexual misconduct within faith communities.

Book Synopsis

• 2020 Publishers Weekly Book of the Year - Religion

★ Publishers Weekly starred review. 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.

Review Quotes

I felt a kindred spirit with Ruth as I read The #MeToo Reckoning, from our shared survivorship to our dedication to equality for women to both of us being ordained ministers. Her words mirrored many of the thoughts and desires of my own heart for survivors. Ruth skillfully weaves the real-life stories of her own personal trauma and the stories of abuse victims she has served with scriptural narratives and modern survivor-focused interventions and solutions. And while I carry a strong personal skepticism that the institutional church will ever significantly change, Ruth presents a clear path forward for the church, a path I would love to see taken. This book leaves the church without the excuse of 'I didn't know any better, ' for anyone who reads The #MeToo Reckoning will certainly know how to do better. I believe this book will serve as a healing balm to many survivors, especially those who have chosen to remain within Christianity and keep fighting for change.

In The #MeToo Reckoning, Ruth Everhart creatively interweaves real-life stories of how Protestant churches have been complicit in the sexual abuse of women with counterpart stories from Scripture. In telling the stories--both the real-life stories and the biblical ones--Everhart does not flinch from pointing out how those who held the reins of power used silence, evasion, threats, and denial to protect abusers. In each case, she goes beyond denunciation, however, to point out how they could and should have acted differently. The result is a gripping, prophetic call to churches to halt the cover-ups of sexual abuse of women and secure justice for the victims. An eloquent, spiritually deep wake-up call. This book had to be written!

Pulling back the curtain on the mishandling of sexual abuse within Protestant churches, this incisive work from . . . Everhart boldly calls for communal repentance and change.