THIS is a gem of a book. Beth Keith is a vicar in Sheffield, and her book is a “theological and pastoral response to the particular challenges that come with being a survivor [of abuse] within the Christian faith”. As such, it is a powerful book for everyone, from parish safeguarding officers to clergy and people in the pews who wonder why it is that the Church often seems to respond so ineptly to survivors of abuse.

The first chapter is an accessible and clear exploration of why trauma is so devastating and incomprehensible — and victims of sexual assault (one in four women and one in eight men) are almost always unable to get justice. Trauma messes with our thinking, and this can have an outcome that the survivor is blamed — for example, when they are unable to report the incident in a coherent and logical way.

There is a chapter on the negative influence of “purity culture” and another on the hidden dynamics of scapegoating survivors after disclosures of sexual violence. Chapter Five analyses why so few survivors get justice — alarming in the UK. Chapter Six examines the violence of the cross, something that many survivors struggle with. Keith calls for a more “spacious and compassionate theology of atonement” and recognises Christ’s solidarity with the oppressed and abused.

I appreciated the chapter that looks at the areas of confession and absolution. Like every other Christian survivor, I know I struggle with debilitating shame, and some prayers of confession in the C of E leave me confused and anxious. So does much of the talk of forgiveness, which Keith explores, drawing on the helpful work of Stephen Cherry with his “non-vengeful unforgiveness” (Unforgivable?, Bloomsbury (Books, 3 May 2024)). Keith’s book concludes with a reflection on recovery for survivors and what that might mean for the Church, standing in solidarity with the abused, “working for a safer world and a fairer system of justice”.

This is a deeply helpful book that asks, “How can the Church be better?” (a big question for our new Archbishop of Canterbury). This book is a reflective and important resource for the Church and deserves to be widely read.

Dr Sue Atkinson is the author of Struggling to Forgive (SPCK, 2014) and Poppy in Pieces (Survivor Voices Press, 2024).

The Pieces Join: Navigating faith, trauma and recovery
Beth Keith
Canterbury Press £15.99
(978-1-78622-601-3)
Church Times Bookshop £12.79