Bad Pastors Clergy Misconduct in Modern America

ANSON SHUPE is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the Joint campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Fort Wayne. He is the author of over two dozen books and numerous professional articles.

WILLIAM A. STACEY is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Social Research at the University of Texas at Arlington.
SUSAN E. DARNELL manages a credit union in Gary, Indiana and is a civil rights advocate journalist.

SUSAN E. DARNELL manages a credit union in Gary, Indiana and is a civil rights advocate journalist.

Goes far beyond the bad apple' theory of clergy malfeasance. In this book sensitive, tough-minded sociologists ask why notorious predators have been able to exploit religious institutions and use them to cover up their violations. The clear-headed contributors not only communicate effectively with a wide audience, but also bring years of hard-won experience and training to help the rest of us understand how the misuse of clergy power arose and operates. Institutions that train professionals--seminaries, law schools, medical schools, academic centers--could profit considerably from the wisdom and implied recommendations found in these weighty chapters."- J. E. Barnhart, author of The Study of Religion and Its Meaning "This book is extremely valuable. Shupe et al. have done an excellent job...highly recommended; it is a must-read."- Criminal Justice Review "Bad Pastors raises all the good questions and provides many hypothetical answers, and for these reasons alone it should be read by all sociologists of religion with an interest in wrongdoings."- Sociology of Religion