Seeking Wholeness.

Seeking Wholeness

Marie Evans Bouclin

Liturgical Press

Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500

www.litpress.org

0814622402 $12.95 320-363-2227

Seeking Wholeness: Women Dealing With Abuse Of Power In The Catholic Church, written by professional theology and ethics translator Marie Evans Bouclin, gathers the expertise and testimony of the authors' experience striving to redress the physical and spiritual needs of women who have suffered betrayal and sexual abuse (ranging from being persuaded through an abuse of power and influence to have a sexual relationship with a priest to rape) by priests, particularly Catholic priests. Seeking Wholeness also addresses the betrayal of women who are not necessarily sexually exploited, but who are sexually discriminated against in that they are summarily dismissed from a parish or church-related job without reason or recourse. Seeking Wholeness addresses the male-centered power dynamic of the Catholic Church that utterly excludes lay people and therefore offers fewer checks and balances against corruption within, as well as stripping Catholics of responsibility for their own spirituality. Above all, Seeking Wholeness emphasizes the critical importance of recognizing the problem, of allowing and encouraging women's stories to be told. Much has been written concerning priest sexual abuse of children; less has been spoken of sexual abuse of women, and Seeking Wholeness strives to rectify the gap as well as offer steps toward healing and exposure of innate flaws in the Catholic power system and patriarchal faith doctrine that will continue to cultivate abusers until rectified.