BOISVERT & GOSS: Gay Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct: breaking the silence

Breaking the Silence

Explores the issue of homoeroticism in Catholic culture and the controversy surrounding clerical sexual misconduct.

This timely and compelling collection critically analyzes the official Roman Catholic hierarchy's attitude toward homosexual clergy. Inspired by Mark Jordan's controversial The Silence of Sodom: Homosexuality in Modern Catholicism, the essays-edited by Boisvert (dean of students, Concordia Univ.) and Goss (pastor, MCC Church) and written by leading scholars and religious practitioners-attempt to debunk the myth that gay priests are pedophiles and are responsible for the moral decline of modern Catholic values. In fact, this refreshingly positive assessment of gay American Catholic priests attempts to reverse the present atmosphere of suspicion and redirect the blame at hypocrisy while giving voice to victims. Hard-hitting, articulate, and characterized by a prophet's righteousness, these sound essays are essential reading for both clergy and laity trying to come to terms with the recent sex abuse scandals. A wonderfully enlightened read; recommended for academic and public libraries.-John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Platteville

1. Celibate Men, Ambivalent Saints, and Games of Desire Donald L. Boisvert
2. Naming the Mechanisms of Self-Deception: A cAll to Liberation for Gay Roman Catholic Clergy David M. Mellott
3. Speaking Loud or Shutting Up: The Homosexual -Type Problem Edward J.Ingebretsen
4. Silencing Sodom Chuck Colbert
5. Anglican Bodies: The Gift of Heretical Liminality and the Risk of relaxed Vigilance Jay Emerson Johnson
6. Duplicity Writ Large Mary E. Hunt
7. Always a Bride, Never a Groom Robert F Goss
8. Pandora's Gauntlet: Curiosity Enough to Care and Hope Enough to Question Marie Cartier
9. A Welcome Voice Breaks the Silence in an Exclusively Male Clerical Tradition Lorine M Getz
10. Where Have all the Young Girls Gone? Mary Ann Tolbert
11. Breaking the Silence in Public: A Case Study Michael Kelly
12. Those Troubling Gay Priests Bernard Schlager
13. Lessons from our Neighbours: An Appreciation and a Query to Mark Jordan Karen Lebacqz
14. Neither do I: A Meditation on Scapegoating William Glenn
15. Catholicism and a Crisis of Intimate Relations Edward J. Ingebretsen
16. After Silence Mark D. Jordan