Holding in Trust? Towards a theology of Safeguarding

Jim McManusVersion 4.2, March 2010

Jim McManus Is a Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist, Fellow of the Faculty of

Public Health of the UK Royal Colleges of Physicians and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

He is Joint Director of Public Health for Birmingham, jointly appointed by the three NHS Primary Care Trusts and the City Council.

Jim is an adviser on healthcare to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and a Catholic Theologian.

His first degree in theology is from Glasgow, where he took a BD with Joint Honours in Systematic and Practical Theology. He was awarded the University’s Clelland and Rae Wilson Medal and Dixon Prizes, both for Systematic Theology.

His theological interests include theological anthropology, dialogue between Catholic and Reformed theology, Scottish late modern theology, the theology of health, public theology and the relationships between psychology and theology.

Using this powerpoint as a resource As a lecture Self-directed learning and reflection...using

the sources listed In groupwork...taking as long as you need

using the exercises Insert extra discussion points

Key Points A theology of safeguarding is not about embedding

something new. It is about unearthing, rediscovering and living principles which

are already implicit in the nature of the Church and its mission, the authentic witness to the work of God in Christ and the teaching of the Gospels

We will never have a culture of safeguarding truly and fully embedded within the Church UNLESS we understand and live it as primarily coming from a theological imperative, an essential part of living the gospel

Abuse of children and vulnerable adults, whatever else it may be, is contrary to justice; that strikes at the heart of the Church’s mission and

understanding of itself

Inculturation or rediscovery? We need to find a way of embedding practices of

safeguarding, while articulating the issues theologically

We need to articulate theological issues in a language and way which the safeguarding world can engage with and understand

The Church does have experience of this, missionaries and evangelists have been doing it for generations. Why is it such a challenge now?

Challenges We are not all starting from the same

place...understanding that is key We may disagree about primacy of some

starting points and about methods We may disagree about importance of

sources The “sexual sin and repentance” typology

will continue to be strong. How do we use it?

Sexual Sin and Repentance Typology

An example Impurity – resist through

willpower Sin against chastity –

confess, repent and sin no more

“Proximate occasions of sin” – put in place ways of avoiding them

Problems with this Ignores learning from

psychology about vulnerability to abuse

Ignores learning from psychology about paedophilia

Puts the emphasis on the person when the issue is as much structural/cultural as individual

So....

This creates a typical “theological problem” – our traditional obvious answer doesn’t work and we have to go back to sources. (Theological method)

This session will seek to give ways of solving that theological problem using a Catholic theological method

First take social science insightsA classic Psychological Study…

Experience of sexual abuse, Hall says, disrupts “ a sense of being loved by God, a sense of community with others and trust in God’s plan and purpose for the future.” (Hall, 1995, p129.)

This should be obvious to us, but think through

what it means – the Church, the vehicle to help people live out their discipleship and relationship with God, actually gets in the way. It risks cutting people off from the people of God if it doesn’t safeguard them.

Implications

The experience Hall talks of fundamentally inverts the nature of what the Church does. A vehicle to frame and support the relationship with God actually disrupts and frustrates this…

A church which is unsafe cannot claim to be one, holy, Catholic or Apostolic (the four marks of the Church.)

What is safeguarding?

This triadic structure needs to be mirrored both in safeguarding practices and in safeguarding theology

Mirroring the triadic structure Safeguarding in secular

contexts

1. Policies and procedures2. Education and Training3. Implementing Safeguarding

Safeguarding in Ecclesial Contexts

1. Explicit theological understanding underpins policies and procedures designed to deliver this

2. Formation of the whole people of God for Safeguarding as part of their ministry and calling

3. Safeguarding practice seen as an essential aspect of authentic ministry and mission;

Not quite the way to do it…

Discussion Exercise

What is Theology? Why does it matter anyway? Do we need a theology of safeguarding? What do you think it would look like?

Theology

Brings us to understanding our faith and thinking through it

Helps the church live its life in connection with its principles

Interprets and relates what God’s will and the Church’s mission means in the present situation

Theology is lived or “done” not just written if it means anything

Starting Points The Bible Church History The Church’s self understanding as expressed in its

teaching (Ecclesiology - e.g. The marks of the Church earlier?)

The Church’s Law – another means of self-understanding

Aspects of theology Our understanding of the human person in theological light

(theological anthropology) Our understanding of actions and norms for conduct in

theological light (moral theology)

Starting with the Scriptures: Safeguarding as good stewardship God’s mission is one of love and service as

shown to us by Jesus. A child-like vulnerability is of the essence of the kingdom (Matthew 18:3-5, Mark10:13-16).

The Mission of the Church, which grows from and is part of the mission of God recognises a priority to nurture children and care for vulnerable people. So this is a core value of the Church.

The duty of stewardship imparted by God

Charity and Justice

You shall love your neighbour as yourself

Love does no wrong to a neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law (Romans 13: 9-10)

Derive a Principle from this that Safeguarding as Integral to the Church’s Mission

Safeguarding challenges those in positions of authority (including those within families) who deny the issue, collude with it or cover it up. The church needs to witness this prophetic challenge, which affects all parts of society and all societies, to give priority to those who are vulnerable and hurting.

For the church to become a safer place it needs to develop and nurture places of hospitable space or sanctuary. Church people need to develop a sense of hospitality which includes openness and careful listening. A sense of hospitable space, and careful welcome must also extend to the offender – justice and mercy demand we provide the opportunity for repentance and inclusion

Exercise

From your understanding of the scriptures, take a passage which you think could be used in a safeguarding context, and derive a principle from it

Tension and Paradoxif we follow the ecclesiological line....

There is a tension – the Church needs to critique rather than just uncritically adopt secular trends to get the best out of them for the people of God and the Common Good. But equally it needs to be able to do so because it points to the promise and marks of what it means to be church.

This sets up a paradox. We might want to critique some aspects of safeguarding because they are alien to a Christian understanding, but equally the task of the Church requires and implies safeguarding.

What I will show later (the suggested framework) will imply we have toFollow an ecclesiological line at some point as part of this

Frameworks which don’t fit without thinking through

Behavioural Sciences Psychology of Behaviour Psychology of Sexuality Psychology of Character

Development Psychology of Organisations Psychology of Christian

Churches and Ministry Criminology Risk and Operational

Modelling A Life course approach to

safeguarding

Fundamental problems of paradigm in how we have engaged with the social sciences have created a theological problem for us

A Theological Framework(St Thomas’ structure for the Summa)

Exitus Reditus

God

Human LifeThe Church

We need to discover and discern the theological principles that put safeguarding as anEssential aspect of the Church’s life and mission in the context of the economy of Salvation. Abuse, and allowing abuse, is falling short of God’s will for us and we have toFind a way of dealing with this

Ecclesiological line of thought

Some different starting points…

Which ones work for you?

Dogmatic Theology

The Nature of the Trinity God as Father, God as Mother – God as nurturer and

protector - love The Person and Work of Christ A Pneumatology of Safeguarding Safeguarding as a mark of living our relationship with

the economic Trinity Safeguarding as an analogy of the immanent Trinity

Theological Anthropology Theological

Anthropology Called to participate Given dignity and

purpose Made for union

Human Ecology (Centesimus Annus)

In addition to the irrational destruction of the natural environment, we must also mention the more serious destruction of the human environment…too little effort is made to safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic ‘human ecology’…..in this context, mention should be made of the serious problems of modern urbanization, of the need for urban planning which is concerned with how people are to live, and of the attention which should be given to a “social ecology” of work

Ecclesiology Ecclesiology – The Church as Sacrament – John Paul II’s concept

of Human Ecology

The Nature and Mission of the Church The Church as Sacrament – a sacrament is a place of healing, encounter

and growth. It therefore requires safety. The marks of the Church – safeguarding is at their heart

An unsafe church is not one An unsafe church is not holy An unsafe church is not universal An unsafe church is not in keeping with the mission of the Apostles

Embodying the Virtues Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation Making room for Grace or Sinning Against Grace?

Canon Law

Canon Law The rights of the People of God The duties of the People of God The Church’s Juridical self-understanding

In the world, but not of the world…a framework for reflection

Moral, Pastoral, Social Theology The Social Teaching of the Church The nature of the person and character (back to Theological

Anthropology) Fundamental Option Reviewing our theology of development

Pastoral Theology Creating opportunities for safe pilgrimage Ministry Appraisal Ministry Development

Liturgical Theology – a safe place for divinisation The Eucharist – mark of the Church’s promise, mark of her calling

needs to be a place of safety. A truly “celebrating” church is one where everyone is safe to celebrate.

Using the Church’s documents

In our service of charity, we must be inspired and distinguished by a specific attitude: we must care for the other as a person for whom God has made us responsible.

Evangelium Vitae, 87 How does this read in Safeguarding eyes?

SOMETIMES CHURCH DOCUMENTS HELP...BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU MIGHT LIKE....(not least because of their language)

What’s the limits of this one? Sexual violence with regard to children is not

infrequent. Parents must protect their children, first by teaching them a form of modesty and reserve with regard to strangers, as well as by giving suitable sexual information, but without going into details and particulars that might upset or frighten them. (truth and meaning of human sexuality, 85)

Catechism of the Catholic Church para 2389 Connected to incest is any sexual abuse

perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offence is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it all and their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing

Context of this Section on the 6th commandment – adultery Sometimes church documents have what we would

call an imperfect social scientific understanding We have to do theology which starts from there in

dialogue with church documents and takes us to a place most of these documents never envisaged…

The shame is not that these documents never envisaged this, but that we have a world in which we have to

Some Theological Principles. Safeguarding... is essential to the Church’s fulfilment of its calling and mission, given

by Christ is implicit in what Jesus intended when he said “feed my lambs, feed

my sheep” Is essential if we are to introduce people effectively to relationship

with God Is a sign of the kingdom – Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Safeguarding is an exercise of Charity and of Justice Safeguarding helps the Church stay one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Safeguarding reflects the loving nature of God Safeguarding is an essential context for people to receive the

sacraments and grow in discipleship

Compare theology with secular principles

Theology is essential to the Church’s

fulfilment of its calling and mission, given by Christ

is implicit in what Jesus intended when he said “feed my lambs, feed my sheep”

Is essential if we are to introduce people effectively to relationship with God

Principles

Compare theology with secular principles 2

Theology Is a sign of the kingdom – Justice,

Peace and Integrity of Creation Safeguarding is an exercise of

Charity and of Justice Safeguarding helps the Church

stay one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic

Safeguarding reflects the loving nature of God

Safeguarding is an essential context for people to receive the sacraments and grow in discipleship

Secular Principle

Exercise Which starting point appeals most to you in your

safeguarding work as a place to do a theology? Which starting point appeals most to you as a

place to start with others? How would you go about understanding how

and where others like to start? Which starting point would you use for the

person you find most difficult to work with?

Some References Bunge, M.J. “Introduction.” The Child in Christian Thought. Ed. M.J. Bunge. New York: Eerdmans,

2001. 1-28. —. The Child in Christian Thought. Ed. M.J. Bunge. New York: Eerdmans, 2001. Gall, T.A. “Spiritual Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Adult Christian Women.” Journal of

Psychology and Theology 21.3 (1995): 129-134. Hinsdale, M.A. “"Infinite Openness to the Infinite": Karl Rahner's Contribution to Modern Catholic

Thought on the Child.” The Child in Christian Thought. Ed. M.J. Bunge. New York: Eerdmads, 2001. 406-445.

Luxon, P. “Towards a Theology of Safeguarding.” November 2008. Methodist Church Safeguarding Newsletter. 14 February 2009 <http://www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/lk-safeguarding-1108.pdf>.

Pattison, S. “Suffer Little Children: The Challenge of Child Abuse and Neglect to Theology.” Theology and Sexuality 5.9 (1998): 36-58.

White, A. “Between Exile and Redemption: A View of the Catholic Church in England.” New Blackfriars 85.995 (2004): 5 - 16.

Just Ministry: Professional Ethics for Pastoral Ministers by Richard M. Gula (Paperback - Jan. 4, 2010) Paulist Press

What's New in Church Leadership?: Creative Responses to the Changing Pattern of Church Life by Malcolm Grundy (Paperback - May 30, 2007)

Keeping Faith in Practice by James Sweeney, Gemma Simmonds, (Paperback - Dec. 1, 2009) Let the Little Children Come to Me: Childhood and Children in Early Christianity - Paperback (15

Sep 2009) by Cornelia B. Horn and John W. Martens

Thank you!

Questions, comments, discussion.......

Jim.mcmanus@bhwp.nhs.uk orJim.mcmanus@birmingham.gov.uk