Lancaster Theological Seminary Library

📚SUMMER BOOK CLUB: Theology in an age of Epstein, Pelicot, and

What does theology have to offer in this present moment of scandal, abuse, and cover-up?

Recent headlines and social media platforms are filled with new revelations and intense speculation regarding Jeffrey Epstein and his network of collaborators. The world was shocked by the case of Gisèle Pelicot, who was a victim of dozens of rapes by strangers after her husband drugged her to facilitate the assaults. The Church has repeatedly failed to safeguard against abuse, with these systemic failures spanning various denominations and geographic locations.

Moravian University School of Theology invites you to read along and join the conversation together during our Summer Book Club as we grapple with some of the most pressing and painful issues of our time.

Abuse is not just a Catholic problem or a political bargaining chip. The goal of this six-week summer reading group is to move beyond moral outrage to a space of honest reflection, taking stock of the theologies — both inside and outside the Church — that enable abuse and the resources that can guide us forward.

“Epstein, coverups, abuse — these things are all over the news. And how are we supposed to process this as Christians?” says book club facilitator Dr. Michael Toy. “How are we supposed to make sense of this as Christians? Especially when the church’s track record on these things is so blemished?”

Registration is free, and gatherings are 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT on Mondays, June 8, June 22, and July 6 on ZOOM.

REGISTER HERE: https://moravian.zoom.us/meeting/register/8QiEpT1-TJi3VMSYq_-UDg #/registration

📚All 3 books are available on reserve in LTS and Reeves Libraries, with a 3-day checkout period.

Looking for more resources to enrich your Lent and Easter season? Check out Preaching God's Transforming Justice, edited by Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, Ronald J. Allen, and Dale P. Andrews.

"This is the final volume in a unique new commentary series that helps the preacher identify and reflect on the social implications of the biblical readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. The essays concentrate on the themes of social justice in the weekly texts and how those themes can be teachable moments for preaching social justice in the church. In addition to the lectionary days, there are essays for twenty-two 'Holy Days of Justice,' including Martin Luther King Day, Earth Day, World AIDS Day, and Children’s Sabbath. These days are intended to enlarge the church’s awareness of God’s call for justice and of the many ways that call comes to the church and world today."

Today we're highlighting one of the many resources from our Lent and Easter collection! The Lenten Labyrinth by Edward Hays contains a series of daily readings for Lent.

"The journeys of Lent and of life are seldom straight roads, but are usually like complicated mazes or labyrinths. While we often can feel lost along the complex twisting patterns of the labyrinth path, to travel the maze of the Way is the greatest of all adventures. This guidebook of daily reflections for this journey of transformation has the power to change 'to radically enrich' our way of thinking, loving and believing."