The Missionary Myth exists to expose the depth of child abuse in missionary boarding schools. It also explores the overlap of the residential school experience of indigenous people, particularly Native Americans. As a missionary kid (MK) raised in Africa, Vivian Palmer Harvey has directly experienced the realities of missionary life. In addition, her close friendships with Native American advisors, teachers and residential school survivors places her in a unique position to draw parallels.
Beginning with the author’s birth after her parents’ arrival in Africa and continuing through her young adulthood, The Missionary Myth tells the fascinating story of a child and her family on the mission field.
Later, the focus pulls back to show that boarding school abuse is one branch of a much broader problem. By tying together elements that lead to the exploitation of children and nations alike, the author reveals that the same belief system which requires missionaries to abandon their children to boarding schools also harms native peoples around the world.
The mainstream Christian church begs for constructive critique if it is to maintain an important role for today’s people of faith. Historically, the church has been reluctant to recognize the value of other cultures. This symptom of perceived superiority is a vice that’s caused devastating clashes between indigenous peoples and Western European settlers since the fifteenth century. By probing the roots of these clashes, The Missionary Myth shows that the misuse of scripture for the church’s self-interest is not new, but a pattern that dates back to Rome. Unfortunately, the ripples are still spreading.
Next, the author investigates the church’s history of using punitive discipline to purify the soul of the sinful as it led to abuse, grew branches of hurtful policies, and finally produced long-term fruits of denial and soul wounds. She shows that the experience of coercive punishment makes a profound psychological impact upon its victims, transforming the very constructs of one’s world. Among other things, she argues that we need to transform our perspectives about violence against children. While the aggression we see in our culture may seem unavoidable, this is not the case.
The Missionary Myth reaches out to victims, who need to know they’re not alone in order to take back their voice and heal. The fear of reprisal and disbelief prevent people from reporting what was done to them. Only when the author saw her peers speaking up did she find the courage to tell her own story, confront her memories and address buried pain. Still, there is an army of others who have no voice. For their sake, she too is speaking out, helping wounded people understand why they think and act as they do, working to break the generational cycle, and opening the door to restoration. To those on such a road, the journey can feel long, slow and painful – yet it’s ultimately worth the effort.
No less importantly, The Missionary Myth seeks to spread awareness. Few of us realize how pervasive abuse actually is in boarding school settings, where predatory caretakers create horror in a world that should be safe for children; or how far organizations go to sweep legitimate claims under the rug, avoiding lawsuits and bad publicity. Because murkiness remains, when victims do speak out, church members often react in disbelief, revictimizing people in pain. Clearly this is a problem for victims, whose suffering only increases as their stories are widely doubted; but it’s also a problem for the average church-goer. Without clarity, good people continue trusting caregivers who double as wolves in sheep’s clothing, putting their children in danger. The hard truth is this: it’s possible, even likely, for evil to be present within the ranks of any denomination, even at the highest levels of leadership.
Today, the evidence of abuse is everywhere, like a dense vapor engulfing us; yet like the air, it’s usually invisible. Once we see it, we begin seeing ourselves and our world differently. If enough people can see differently, together we can pressure church leaders to institute structural change, and provide a chance at reconciliation for families still caught in the gears.
Without acknowledgement, however, change is impossible. Policies which shelter abusers will stay in effect until we admit that something is terribly wrong. To date, few steps have been taken to prevent abuse within denominations or bring in-house perpetrators to justice. Sadly, preventing crimes against children is simply not a focus for many Christian organizations. This needs to change.
Parents need to know. Victims need to heal. Faulty doctrinal positions which foster abuse must be challenged, and organizations must be held accountable to confront wrongdoing. Individually and collectively, we need to recognize abuse and take steps to prevent it.
Those who can look honestly at their beliefs will find much to wrestle with here. Our actions are shaped by our theology, bearing a profound impact on how we treat others. When superiority and violence are part of the package, the results are catastrophic. Even those of us who see fundamentalism as “other” must acknowledge its disguised roots, which lie in all of us.
By opening these patterns to discussion, The Missionary Myth opens the door to real solutions. It challenges the concept of missions, analyzes the cost to families and indigenous populations, and questions current mission policies. Next it turns towards healing and reconciliation: what they are, and what they would require. Finally, the appendix offers practical instructions to those who have suffered religious abuse and want to begin the journey to recovery.
Most importantly, The Missionary Myth unearths the plight of the most innocent of all: children who become sacrificial lambs for the kingdom of God.
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