This book opens out religious studies discussion on spiritual abuse to extend beyond the primary focus on Christian settings and situations. Emphasising the diversity and reach of manifestations of spiritual abuse, it offers snapshots and examples from five major religious traditions.
Following a definition of 'spiritual abuse' and a qualification of the application of the designation 'world religions', five chapters - each by subject experts - demonstrate that spiritual abuse can be identified in contexts of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhi(sm). The chapters draw on sacred texts, historical events, religious institutions, practices, or figures particular to each tradition, paying heed to how specific examples can relate to wider, or systemic tendencies. Throughout, there is emphasis on trauma-informed and survivor-centred approaches.
Abuse in World Religions (Vol.1) will appeal to academics of religious studies with interest in rape culture and spiritual abuse, as well as upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates, and religious leaders, or leaders of faith-based organisations, seeking to understand and to confront spiritual abuse and rape culture in their own communities.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license
Abuse in World Religions (Vol.1) will appeal to those seeking to understand and to confront spiritual abuse and rape culture in their own communities, and emphasises the diversity and reach of manifestations of spiritual abuse, it offers snapshots and examples from five major religious traditions.
Introduction
1. Judaism, Our Revolt-ing Women: Bringing Women Together
2. Hinduism, From Gods Slaves to Sex Slaves: The Plight of Devadasis in
Hinduism
3. Christianity, Violence and Abuse in Christian Contexts: The
Example of Domestic Abuse
4. Islam, Developments in the field of
understanding Spiritual Abuse within Muslim Contexts
5. Sikhi(sm), Whats
faith got to do with it? Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sikh Communities
Johanna Stiebert is Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Leeds, UK. She is the author of Rape Myths, the Bible and #MeToo (Routledge, 2020) and the co-author (with Saima Afzal) of Marriage, Bible, Violence (Routledge, 2024). Her research interests centre on topics of gender, sexuality, and activism. She co-founded and co-directs The Shiloh Project (https://www.shilohproject.blog/).
