Trauma, abuse, and violence in faith communities is a challenging topic because our spiritual communities should be safe spaces. Unfortunately, faith leaders are routinely being identified as abusers and ousted from their roles because of inappropriate behavior. In many cases, faith communities and non-profits are both failing to prevent abuse and actively trying to cover it up.

For people of faith, regardless of our spiritual traditions or beliefs, we must wrestle with what it means when faith communities and organizations are the source of such trauma. We must ask ourselves and be willing to wrestle with hard questions. 

Today's guest is Daniel Silliman, news editor for Christianity Today . Daniel's months of investigative journalism led to the revelation of sexual and emotional abuse by Christian apologist and founder of RZIM, Ravi Zacharias.   

Please be advised, mature content is discussed in this episode, including sexual and emotional abuse.

We also discuss:

• Daniel's training as a historian with expertise in American Evangelicalism and his book, Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith 
• His involvement in Christianity Today's podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

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Thanks to my friend Daniel Couper whose music is featured on this episode.

Show Notes

Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith

CT Article: Ravi Zacharias’s Ministry Investigates Claims of Sexual Misconduct at Spas

CT Article: Inside RZIM, Staff Push Leaders to Take Responsibility for Scandal

CT Article: NDAs Kept These Christians Silent. Now They’re Speaking Out Against Them

CT Article: Sexual Harassment Went Unchecked at Christianity Today

CT Article: Safeguard Gaps Leave Refugees Vulnerable to Sexual Abuse, Exploitation 

Eerdmans Youtube Interview about Reading Evangelicals with Kristin Kobes Du Mez
author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

Englewood Review of Books Youtube Interview about Reading Evangelicals with David Kiger