1st Edition

Rape Culture and Spiritual Violence Religion, Testimony, and Visions of Healing

By Gina Messina-Dysert Copyright 2015
    128 Pages
    by Routledge

    140 Pages
    by Routledge

    Rape Culture and Spiritual Violence examines sexual violence against women, how religion and society contribute to a rape culture, and the extreme suffering endured by rape victims as a result. Using the testimony of women who have experienced both rape and the consequences of rape culture—from a range of religious, cultural, ethnic, and social contexts—the book explores both the suffering and healing of rape victims from World War II to today. Among the issues considered are victim invisibility, the inability to express pain, and the tendency to assume shame and self-blame. The study examines the role of society in shaping and reinforcing these responses, contributing to traumas that can lead to spiritual death. The book also explores possibilities for multiple spiritual resurrections within the practice of daily life, encouraging both individual healing and social change.

    1. Introduction  2. Rape Culture Ordained by God?  3. Learning from Women's Testimony  4. A Preliminary Analysis of Sexual Violence and Rape Culture  5. Sexual Violence, Han, and Spiritual Death  6. Spiritual Resurrection: Han-Pu-Ri and Momentary Salvation  7. Conclusion.  Index

    Biography

    Gina Messina-Dysert is Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Ursuline College, USA, and co-founder and co-director of the Feminism and Religion project (http://feminismandreligion.com).