Moral injury and church-related abuse: Responding creatively through the arts

Speakers:

• Maggi Creese (Lead Officer, Chaplaincy to Survivors, Diocese of Newcastle, UK)
• Sarah Troughton (NHS psychiatrist with lived experience of church-related abuse)
• David Creese (Newcastle University, survivor of church-related abuse)
• Peter Locke (organist and composer, survivor of church-related abuse)

Church-related abuse can cause moral injury not only to the victims, who may feel betrayed by their faith, but also to others in the Church, including those who, by not passing on a report of abuse or not responding to a disclosure with compassion, may have failed to act in accordance with their own moral values.

The Gospel Passion narratives, which describe the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, lend themselves to an exploration of moral injury in the context of church-related abuse. These commonly held stories provide the contents of the form of Christian devotion known as the Stations the Cross. Early Christians created the practice of "walking the way of the Cross", tracing the path from Pilate's house, where Jesus was condemned to death, to Calvary, where he was crucified, and thus enabling participants to follow in the steps of Jesus and engage actively with his suffering.

The Chaplaincy to Survivors in Newcastle Diocese brought together three survivors of church-related abuse to explore the following question: What happens when survivors use the Stations of the Cross as a means to speak both to their fellow survivors and to those who let them down in the communities where they were harmed?

In this webinar we will present our answer, a creative project called Jagged Edges. Each survivor has approached the Gospel Passion narratives from her or his own perspective and through a different artistic medium (linocut prints, music, poetry), to co-create their own Stations of the Cross. We’ll describe how the project came about, present some of the artwork that has resulted and explore how this material and these familiar stories might be used by churches to address moral injury in their communities.

In the discussion, chaired by Revd Dr Brian Powers (Durham University), we will further broaden the conversation to consider the use of the arts in accompanying people who have experienced moral injury.

To receive the Zoom link, please register for free at TicketTailor.

Artwork above by Sarah Troughton. Used with permission.