By Anna Mondal
While working in an ophthalmology clinic, I often admired our doctors’ framed copies of the Hippocratic Oath. In this ancient code of medical ethics, physicians vow not to “play at God,” but acknowledge their limits. [1] They pledge to comfort and cure the vulnerable, not cause further harm.
This life-affirming ethic [2] was developed for physicians who heal human bodies. But even before Hippocrates, early church fathers considered people who provided spiritual care to be the doctors of the soul. [3] “The care/cure of souls…is the foundational description of pastoral ministry.” [4] Pastoral ministry is a big topic, and not one I’m not qualified or inclined to speak into. But as a woman who counsels abuse survivors, I’m deeply interested in the place where pastoral care and victim care intersect. [5]
Pastors, Power, and Victim Care
In just a few years counseling abuse survivors, I’ve listened to dozens of women share their life stories. Many looked to a spiritual authority for help. Just like a patient in a doctor’s office, they entrusted him with their vulnerability in a hope he would help. But instead of help, many women received more harm: accusations, disbelief, incompetent counsel, glib solutions. The
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