Baptistland
A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal, and Transformation
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
It began with just wanting to tell the truth. But truth-telling has a way of snowballing.
When Christa Brown first spoke out about the sexual abuse she endured in her Texas childhood church, she never imagined it would expose the ethical chasm at the core of the Southern Baptist Convention: male religious leaders so focused on institutional protection that they sacrifice the safety of children.
A book about speaking out and speaking up, Baptistland weaves together Christa's revealing story of hope amid Southern patriarchy and religious fundamentalism. You'll meet the young Christa who endures family dysfunction, the trauma of bodily desecration, and the death blows of a gaslighting church and faith community. Then you'll meet the Christa who finds her voice and rises above the limited expectations of her given culture, taking tiny step after tiny step toward a life filled with goodness.
Ultimately, Christa Brown transforms into a vivid tree of life, rooted in love, individuality, and beauty. But it was unrelenting honesty, to herself and others, that guided her to an ordinary paradise. Baptistland speaks to the power of truth-telling-for ourselves, our relationships, and our institutions.
Baptistland is a story of abuse, brokenness, and betrayal, but more than any of these things, it is the story of resilience. -Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne
Customer Reviews
Powerful and Provocative
There can be no question that Christa is a champion and has turned her abuse into action. She accurately and systematically shows the SBC leadership for what it is, a ‘do nothing, stonewalling’ group of men to whom the organization is everything, to borrow the words of Ray Franz, former JW governing body member. She deserves every accolade! My only
critique or sadness is that the horrific actions of these men, were not disconnected enough from God. I wish that fact was made clearer…….mainly the truth that these men in the ‘name of God’ perpetuated their abuse, as Christa makes clear, the devastation from such abuse leaves one reeling to the place where even entering a Church reignites the abuse all over, which in all fairness may be why I came away saddened the fact I mentioned wasn’t made more clear. As a conservative pastor of over 35 years, I can truly testify that there is an ‘old boys club’ within the circles she mentions and I will stand by every word she says because it’s true.