Surviving God: A New Vision of God through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors

by Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Susan M. Shaw (Foreword)

Who is God when we see God through the eyes of survivors? Many books have dealt with sexual abuse scandals in the church and the role of pastoral care for survivors. Others have provided liberatory readings of biblical texts to support survivors of sexual violence. Surviving God takes a new approach, centering the voices of sexual abuse survivors while rethinking key Christian beliefs. Starting from experiences of oppression, beliefs that contribute to oppression are challenged, and new, hopeful, and healing beliefs take their place. Groundbreaking theologians Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw, each a survivor herself, demonstrate how traditional ways of thinking about God are highly problematic, contribute to the problems of sexual abuse, and are not reflective of the God of love and justice at the heart of the gospel. These long-held theologies often perpetuate the problem of sexual abuse and fail to promote healing for survivors. Drawing from their own experiences and the experiences of other survivors, and centering the ways gender intersects with race, sexuality, class, and religion, Kim and Shaw lead us to deep healing and a transformed church that no longer contributes to the devastation of sexual abuse. In these inspiring pages, you will discover new ways of thinking about God that are surprising, challenging, and empowering.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

229 pages, Paperback

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

Grace Ji-Sun Kim (PhD, St. Michael's College, University of Toronto) is associate professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is author or editor of thirteen books, including Embracing the Other,Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice, and Intercultural Ministry. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Reviews

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I told my wife the title of this book, Surviving God, she asked “Do they mean that God survives bad interpretation of who they are or that people survive bad interpretations of God?” It’s an excellent question and one that the authors, Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan Shaw, answer with an emphatic “Yes!” People are harmed by the weaponization of God’s name and power for immoral and unjust purpose—and there is survival that can come from that. God’s name is harmed by those who take their name in vain—but who God is survives that. Surviving God is a reminder that, even if you have been torn apart by those claiming the name of Jesus, there is also healing, hope, and justice in that name.

While Surviving God focuses primarily on those who have survived sexual abuse, Kim and Shaw portray the toxic systems of religion that lead to the patriarchal power structures that create the environment for abuse in a holistic manner. That is to say, even if you are not the victim of physical sexual abuse within the church but have been part of a religious system that has disempowered you because of your (gender, orientation, ethnicity, social status, etc.), this book provides a path toward hope and healing.

Kim and Shaw begin by telling their own stories, both personal and professional. Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a theology professor and ordained minister who grew up in a conservative Korean church in Canada. She writes that her professional journey has been one grasping for healing from the racism she encountered within the culture and the sexism she encountered within the church. Susan M. Shaw is a professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies who grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church. She writes that her professional journey has been one of finding a place where her life and her talents were accepted and loved. Both have personal experience with abuse. Early on in the book, they write: “We’ve not only survived our abuse; we’ve survived the abusive God of our childhood and churches that forced images of a violent God upon us.” Surviving God speaks to survivors as survivors and from survivors, offering healing and solidarity.

After some introductory work setting up the context of the problem, Surviving God turns to a pair of chapters that talk about God as the problem and God as the survivor. Pairing these chapters together is especially important. Kim and Shaw do not shy away from the fact that, in some interpretations of Christian religion, God is problematic. God allows abuse. God is violent. God is demeaning and damning. And when sexual abuse happens, and the all-powerful God does not stop it, and Christians say things like “God works all things together for his good,” it becomes very difficult to believe in God. Contrasting that, Kim and Shaw show how this is a bad view of God and point us toward a God who suffers with us and calls for an end to all suffering.

Next, Surviving God goes on a comprehensive overview of sexual abuse in Bible with chapters on figures from the Old Testament and New Testament, and a chapter focusing on sexual abuse in the life of Jesus. Some of these perspectives are eye-opening and completely different from the sanitized and/or weaponized versions of these narratives that evangelical Christianity has held. Kim and Shaw write with conviction, clarity, and compassion, making a strong case for a God who understands, condemns, and works for the end of abuse.
Surviving God’s end message is that God can be survived and that God survives. As I’ve grown up and moved away from toxic representations of God—much like the authors—I’ve also witnessed so many around me do exactly the same. Deconstruction. Ex-vangelical. Whatever you want to call it. But they have nothing to reconstruct from. While they have removed themselves from toxicity, they have no place of flourishing to join. And so they wander. And wonder. And wallow in lostness. Surviving God offers a healing picture of God that is a firm foundation, a way of reconstruction, a community in which to find solidarity, a God who is worthy of worship.

[Anna Hawes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I was raised in the Christian faith and attended a Christian university, the idea of approaching scripture with different interpretive lenses is newer to me. I really appreciated how the authors carefully explained the approach they were taking and the importance of sitting with uncomfortable stories as well as holding multiple perspectives at the same time; it was very beginner-friendly. The aspect that most resonated with me is that you have to consider the effects of the interpretation as well - scripture is not interpreted in a vacuum and the application is very important to consider.

I was worried it might be too heavy but I felt they handled the difficult stories well. I love that they emphasized the need for real healing and rejected the "thoughts and prayers" or "it'll be fixed in heaven" approach that many Christians use to paper over pain.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bold, important, and open-minded. This book is important food for thought, particularly for clergy and other people in positions of church leadership. I commend the authors for their vulnerability regarding their abuse and recovery. This book might be steep for folks not well-versed in multiple theologies (i.e. liberation, feminist, etc.). I found the progression of topics over the chapters well done. The chapters on survivors of sexual abuse in the first and second testaments does a great job of highlighting what is casually accepted or glossed over in the pulpit. The chapter on Jesus as Survivor left me wanting more objective and historical sources for the claims made. The open discussion regarding multiple theologies for helping sexual abuse survivors showcases the necessity for thinking outside the box when it comes to this demographic.

[Birty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a supporter of any literature that looks at abused persons and how established organizations, like churches, corporate entities, and government organizations, treat them. So I decided to read this book. What a disappointment! For most of the book, the 2 authors, both claiming religious ordination but not really sounding very ordained, preached their radical ideas about God and salvation. Both rewrite scripture to promote their intersectionality and feminism view of religion. The book is only redeemed by the discussion of the church response to abuse (not very good) and the last 15 or so pages about joy in Jesus and God. The rest of the book is a rant about a over-powering God murdering his son, God being queer, and Jesus being a sexual abused victim. Rewriting the scripture does not make it true.

I read this book as it was recommended for spiritual growth. Not so much.

[Meta Herrick Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am both a pastor and a survivor of sexual violence, so I wandered back and forth between my professional and personal identities while reading "Surviving God". The authors honor the stories of survivors and the God of incarnation and resurrection with tender and fierce love. I'm so grateful for these theologians and what they model for all of us reading along. It matters how we talk about suffering and harm caused by the church in God's name. When we do, it's a new beginning for our relationship with God, each other, and own selves.

[Hillary Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is excellent and a must read for anyone regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof, such an incredible reflection on the harm that institutionalized religion has done on survivors and LGBTQ people and how we can restructure it to serve communities and provide support. kind of academic but still pretty easy to read. had 249 highlights if that says anything about how much I liked it.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think a lot of these authors and believe this is a good collection of ideas and challenges for the church in terms of talking about domestic abuse and sexual violence in or outside of the church. I just don’t think anything was added at all to the conversation here.

[Noah Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, incredibly timely, and the concept of centering survivors, and their stories, in theology and the activity of the church, is lasting and important. A Surviving God is one less people will have to “survive.”

[PottWab Regional Library]

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