Hello, and welcome to my blog. My name is Rev. Rebecca. I am pastor and author. Here on my author blog, Rev. Rebecca Writes, I write about faith, books, and disability awareness. Today, I would like to share a book review with you. I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Details
Title: The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct
Author: Ruth Everhart
Publisher: IVP Books
Length: 240 pages
Publication Date; January 14, 2020
Get your copy on Amazon
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
My Review:
As a survivor of sexual assault, this book was very difficult for me to read; however, the pain surrounding these issues is the very reason why it is so important to talk about them. Everhart’s writing is concise and theologically grounded. I was deeply drawn by her interpretation of scripture. I found her commentary of the story of David and Bathsheba to be particularly empowering. I plan to use her analysis to aid my preaching in the future.
Everhart takes an unflinching look at the way people, especially women and the most vulnerable, have suffered. She uses true stories and case studies to shed light on these issues.
The #MeToo Reckoning calls the church to accountability and offers hope for the future. At the end of each chapter, the author provides questions and ideas for how we as the church can move forward to offer hope and healing to the world. I highly recommend this book to all other clergy and to those who are interested in ministering to survivors.
Trigger Warning: Violence against women, violence against children, sexual assault
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Get your copy on Amazon
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Rev. Rebecca Writes 
I just want to send you a big hug right now. Hugs!
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