Dr. Suzanna Krivulskaya, a historian from California State University San Marcos, dives into the intriguing intersection of religion and sexuality in American history. She unveils how sexual scandals have shaped Protestantism, drawing on cases from the 1830s to today. The discussion reveals the media's evolving role and the challenges of accountability in the church. Krivulskaya emphasizes the need for awareness and transformation amidst these recurring issues, urging both institutions and individuals to engage critically with the past.
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Historical Pastor Sex Scandals
The book opens with an 1830s scandal involving a Methodist minister accused of impregnating and murdering a woman.
The Henry Ward Beecher adultery scandal of 1872 shows how major religious figures navigated public accusations.
insights INSIGHT
Journalism's Role in Scandals
The penny press's rise in the 1830s popularized sensational, scandalous stories due to their commercial appeal.
This shift forced journalists to balance selling papers with responsible reporting on delicate topics like sex scandals.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Church Defense and Exposure
Denominations historically supported accused ministers to protect their reputations, like in the 1830s and Henry Ward Beecher's 1870s case.
The Jim Baker scandal was exposed mainly through local newspaper investigations originally seeking financial fraud.
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How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
The book delves into the history of American evangelicalism, focusing on how white evangelicals have promoted a militant, patriarchal form of masculinity that has aligned with figures like John Wayne and, more recently, Donald Trump. Du Mez argues that this form of masculinity has been central to the political and social transformations within white evangelicalism, leading to the strong support for Trump despite his controversial character. The book also critiques the abuse and corruption within evangelical leadership and explores the broader implications for American society and politics.
Disgraced
Disgraced
Suzanna Krivulskaya
Suzanna Krivulskaya's "Disgraced" explores the intersection of religion, scandal, and sexuality in American history. The book examines how sex scandals involving American clergy shaped journalistic practices, church responses, and public perception. Krivulskaya's research delves into both well-known and previously undocumented cases, revealing how these events influenced the relationship between religion and the media. The narrative spans from the 19th to the 20th centuries, highlighting the evolving strategies employed by religious institutions to manage their public image amidst crises. The book offers a critical analysis of the complexities surrounding religious authority, media representation, and the lasting impact of scandal on American society.
In this episode, Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Suzanna Krivulskaya about her recent monograph, Disgraced.
Suzanna Krivulskaya (pronounced Soo-ZAH-nah Kree-VOOL-ska-ya) is Associate Professor of History at California State University San Marcos. Originally from Minsk, Belarus, she earned her Bachelor’s degree at LCC International University in Lithuania before moving to the United States to first pursue her Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School and, later, her Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame. Her scholarship considers the relationship between religion and sexuality in modern U.S. history. Her first book, Disgraced: How Sex Scandals Transformed American Protestantism, recently published by Oxford University Press, is a sweeping religious and cultural history of religion, scandal, and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through a careful study of some of the most consequential as well as never before written about sex scandals involving American clergy, Suzanna’s book traces how journalists, churches, and the reading public navigated the many publicity crises that followed the revelations of pastoral misdeeds.
Listeners can purchase it at 30% off from Oxford University Press with the discount code AUFLY30. If they read and like the book, I would also appreciate it if they could post a review on Goodreads, Bookstore, or Amazon.
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