A Forgotten Millstone: Denialism and Child Abuse in the Christian Church

Abstract

Christianity was founded on the teachings of Jesus, whose words emphasize protecting and honoring children. Jesus' teachings are historically unique for the period with his emphasis on safeguarding children, but the church moved away from this focus. First century Christianity adopted protections for children and harsh consequences for those who would abuse a child. Over time, much of Christianity lost this focus. Now, churches at every level experience countless scandals. More churches have begun addressing this crisis, but many resist accountability and prevention efforts. They minimize, deny, and oppose survivors, causing deep wounds. This umbrella review examines public resources and the authors' experience and expertise to assess the prevalence, risks, and effects of abuse and denialism within Christian communities. It synthesizes insight from multiples sources to inform this analysis. Despite the forces of denialism in many Christian communities, voices are rising, demanding safeguards and accountability. This chorus, led by survivors, gives hope that denialism in the Christian church may one day be overcome. Although this articles focuses on Christian churches, similar issues affect most religions.

Keywords: Child maltreatment; Denial; abuse prevention; church abuse; clergy abuse.