See My Body, See Me

Endorsing Pamela Englebert's book on Pentecostalism and healing from sexual violence

My friend and colleague, Pamela Englebert, has release a new book that I want to tell you about. It’s called See My Body, See Me: A Pentecostal Perspective on Healing from Sexual Violence.

Here is the publisher’s description:

#MeToo. #ChurchToo. #pentecostalsisterstoo. Since 2018, hashtags and stories of sexual violence have appeared in all sectors of life from Hollywood to the Olympics; from politics to religion; from universities to seminaries; and among pentecostals. But amid all these stories of sexual abuse and assaults, one may wonder if any stories of healing from sexual violence exist. If so, what does healing look like, particularly among pentecostals who believe in divine healing? Is it a single prayer of faith or a conglomeration of healing factors? In true pentecostal form, See My Body, See Me systematically examines the healing stories of eight pentecostal survivors and the experiences of five pentecostal licensed counselors. It then combines these experiences of both males and females with Scripture, theology, psychology, and culture to provide a pentecostal perspective on healing from sexual violence. As a practical theological approach, See My Body, See Me also offers acts of ministry to provide healing spaces by way of three embodied praxes that are historically and theologically pentecostal: listening, waiting, and learning. See My Body, See Me is an invitation to participate in Christ's healing ministry to see, hear, and believe survivors as God sees, hears, and believes them.

I’m privileged to have endorsed the book. I did so because I’ve personally dealt with sexual violence. And it has been a hallmark of my pastoral ministry to care for those who have experienced it too.

Here’s what I said:

In the wake of ongoing church abuse scandal and the reality of sexual trauma in our society, Pamela Engelbert provides a comprehensive pastoral resource for church leaders. Academically researched, biblically grounded, and thoroughly Pentecostal, See My Body, See Me is at once sober, practical, and hopeful. It's both a vindication of local church efforts to address trauma in community and a call to wield Pentecostal practices to facilitate and deepen the work of healing.

I can’t emphasize enough how refreshing it is to encounter a work that isn’t just another attempt at exposing the problems of sexual violence, but actually provides a path forward of healing though Jesus and by his Spirit.

It’s hopeful. I felt hope reading it, and I think you will too.

• You can buy Pamela’s book on Wipf and Stock’s website HERE.

• You can buy it from bookshop.org HERE.

• You can buy it from Amazon HERE.