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Sex, Power, and Justice: A Christian Ethical Analysis of Clergy Sexual Misconduct and Its Prevention

  • The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics
  • Abbr : 기사윤
  • 2015, (31), pp.151-184
  • Publisher : The Society Of Korean Christian Social Ethics
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology

Shin, Wonha 1

1고신대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the nature of sexual misconduct by clergy and to present a proposal for its prevention and appropriate response to cases of misconduct. Throughout church history, there have been two main theological views on clergy sexuality and its relation to spirituality. While one affirms it positively, the other does not; while one rejects the elevation of celibacy, the other does not. However, the Bible clearly says that God created humankind as male and female according to God’s image. Both man and woman are sexual beings. The Hebrew Scripture understands the human being as a psychosomatic unity. The spirit and the body are closely interrelated. It means that the human being exists as an embodied person. If spirit has to do with body, spiritualty has to do with bodily life. Spiritual life is not separated from bodily life at all. It means sexuality is an integral part of spirituality: the more a clergyman is filled with wholesome sexual energy, the deeper he experiences spiritual fullness. Conversely, the less a pastor is sexually satisfied, the greater the temptation is to slip into sexual misconduct. In reality, sexual misconduct by pastors in the ministry is quite prevalent. According to analyses, there are three major types of sexual offenders: the predator, the wanderer, and the lover, respectively. The core of this paper is to analyse the nature of sexual misconduct by clergy. The paper defines it in terms of abuse of clerical power. It is characterized as betrayal of trust between pastor and congregant, which eventually shakes trust-based community. Then, this paper proposes strategies for the prevention of clerical sexual misconduct. It puts an emphasis on the necessity of developing a warning system of some kind in order to determine what levels of attraction and intimacy are unacceptable, by which pastors can be alerted and refrain from dangerous intimacy. Finally, the paper suggests what the Church should do in order to carry out justice after a case of sexual misconduct has occurred. The Church is called to make the case public and to take preferential care of the victimized. Finally, the Church ought to prepare an ethical code regarding clerical sexuality and laws in order for her to carry out ecclesiastically sanctioned punishment and rehabilitation.

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