Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests [Hardcover]

Thomas G. Plante Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1999

A tremendous amount of media attention has been devoted to revealing sexual abuse perpetrated by Roman Catholic priests. These essays outline a clinical and research agenda for professionals dealing with clergy sexual abuse. They should enable research clinical professionals, and clergy to identify the relevant issues in the identification, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of child and adolescent sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests. Leading experts in the field from the United States and Canada have offered their different perspectives on this compelling problem including victim profiles for determining who is at risk.

Editorial Reviews

Review

.,."this is a very important contribution to the neglected area of research on the subject of clergy abuse..."-Heythrop Journal

Book Description

Enables research clinical professionals, and clergy to identify the relevant issues in the identification, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of child and adolescent sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (September 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275963861
• ISBN-13: 978-0275963866
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,357,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP is professor of psychology at Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has served as psychology department chair, acting dean of the school of education, counseling psychology, and pastoral ministries, and director of the spirituality and health institute at Santa Clara University. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth for the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops and President-elect of the psychology and religion division (division 36) of the American Psychological Association. He was born and raised in Rhode Island and received his ScB degree in psychology from Brown University, his M.A. and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas, and his clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical and health psychology from Yale University. Prior to coming to Santa Clara in 1994, he was a staff psychologist and on the clinical faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of mental health services at the Children's Health Council in Palo Alto, California. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited 14 books including Sin against the Innocents: Sexual Abuse by Priests and the Role of the Catholic Church (2004, Greenwood), Bless Me Father For I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests (1999, Greenwood), Faith and Health: Psychological Perspectives (2001, Guilford), Do the Right Thing: Living Ethically in an Unethical World (2004, New Harbinger), Contemporary Clinical Psychology (1999, 2005, 2010, Wiley), Mental Disorders of the New Millennium (Vols. I, II, and III, 2006, Greenwood), Spirit, Science and Health: How the Spiritual Mind Fuels Physical Wellness (2007, Greenwood), Spiritual Practices in Psychotherapy: Thirteen Tools for Enhancing Psychological Health (2009, American Psychological Association), and Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health (2010, Greenwood) as well as published over 150 scholarly professional journal articles and book chapters. His area of clinical and research interest focuses on stress and coping, the influence of aerobic exercise and perceived fitness on psychological functioning, faith and health outcomes, psychological issues among Catholic clergy and laypersons, and ethical decision making. He has been featured in numerous media outlets including Time Magazine, CNN, NBC Nightly News, the PBS News Hour, New York Times, USA Today, British Broadcasting Company, National Public Radio, among many others. He has evaluated or treated more than 600 priests and applicants to the priesthood and deaconate and has served as a consultant for a number of Church dioceses and religious orders. Time Magazine referred to him (April 1, 2002) as one of "three leading (American) Catholics." He maintains a private practice in Menlo Park, CA where he lives with his wife, Lori (also a psychologist) and son, Zachary. His hobbies include running and managing a small home vineyard where he and his family grow syrah grapes for wine making under the TLZ Plante Family Vineyard label.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very balanced, scholarly, and thoughtful, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests (Hardcover)

This is the first balanced & scholarly book published on this important topic. Excellent insight into this problem and what to do about it.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, Exposed!, March 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests (Hardcover)

With this book, Dr. Plante, has made a vitally important and authoritative contribution to the countless efforts being made worldwide to shatter the stubborn stonewall of denial surrounding clergy sexual misconduct within the Catholic church. For those Catholics who persist in believing that priests who engage in sexual misconduct are rare anomalies or that people who accuse them of such are merely liars and bashers, let them read this book. But only after having prepared themselves for the very real possibility that before they even complete their reading, any sacred illusions they currently have about priests will be irrevocably blown to smithereens.

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Veil Of Secrecy Is Busted: No More Grace For Perverts, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests (Hardcover)

This book will open the eyes of many people who thought that priests, men of God who are still living in flesh, could not go on a molesting rampage. Well, this book will prove them wrong. Unfortunately, a few bad priests, nasty ones destroy it for all the good priests who have done good work in their parish. The author of this book shows that there are serial fornicators among priests who prey on young altar boys and others under their care.

For many years, the Catholic Church used to keep these news from reaching the mass of faithful. At the same time, those priests' superiors kept assigning them to other parishes where they resumed abusing people. Maybe now, they will look forward to assigning them to foreign countries where laws are lax. It's unfortunate these people will still be around young souls to hurt.

Any way, this is a good book that will give a clinical and historical background of a problem that has existed among the faithful for far too long. Now the judges and proscutors want to drag these mischievous priests before the rules of law. No more hiding! No more lies from those who should have known better. No more covering the backs of those priests who had a nasty hobby of hurting innocent children.

A good book to read!

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