Protestant Clergy Sexual Misconduct and Intercultural Pastoral Care

“A never-ending history and long silence of sexual violence in Christian communities: By examining the systemic or cultural dynamics on clergy sexual misconduct within protestant Korean immigrant churches, this study assists caregivers and anyone navigating the cultural complexity of clergy sexual abuse toward healing and transformation. ”

Team Members/Contributors

AHyun Lee Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Contact Me

About this project grant for researchers

While the explosion of studies of sexual misconduct by religious leaders constitutes one of the most critical developments in the field of pastoral care and counseling, most research and theoretical framework identifies the psychological and ethical issues of individual religious leaders and religious communities. There are limited resources on clergy sexual misconduct with a cultural analysis of protestant churches, especially in the intersection of Christianity and Korean/Korean American immigrant churches in North America. None of the recent books is written about clergy sexual misconduct in immigrant protestant churches.

This project is grounded in the context of Korean immigrant protestant churches where the congregation experienced clergy sexual misconduct. Examining critically clergy sexual abuse in Korean/Korean immigrant churches, this research will engage the theorization of clergy sexual misconduct with systemic and critical cultural analysis on the complexity of clergy sexual misconduct at individual, relational, cultural, and societal levels. It will offer the pastoral and clinical implications of cases through addressing the lens of cultural and social analysis of clergy sexual misconduct and challenge the culturally specific conversation of clergy sexual abuse in the field of pastoral care and practical theology, not only in the United States, but around the world.