Dinah Project: A Handbook for Congregational Response to Sexual Violence

Rating:
Summary: Revealing, Healing, Celebrating, Empowering
Review: In a comprehensive, instructional, direct yet compassionate manner, this book gives voice to a form of violence which is hidden, silent, and ignored, threatening the integrity of the Church and our communities. Dr. Coleman speaks about sexual violence. The author defines the problem as a failure of the Church to fulfill its purpose. The author defines the solution as the fulfillment of the Church's purpose. She clearly explains how sexual violence is a spiritual issue to which the Church must respond.

To me, this book is a news story,reporting, or should I say revealing, the stories of two women of God who were victims of rape by "men of the cloth". To me, this book is a program manual: it outlines steps and provides tools for a structured, compassionate, truly healing response by the Church to sexual violence. To me, reading this book was a worship experience: the tone was prayerful, the approach was instructional; the text was God's Word; the conclusion was a praise party - celebrating God's grace. To me, this book was empowering: The book helped me to: tell the truth to myself; to understand the pain/mine and that of other victims who I dearly love; and, even in the face of unanswered questions, to find peace.