Name: Dale S. Ryan
Occupation: Associate Professor of Recovery Ministry and Director of the Fuller Institute for Recovery Ministry (Fuller Theological Seminary); CEO of Christian Recovery International
What course(s) do you teach about sexual and domestic violence?
I teach a master’s level course in the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary titled “Pastoral Care and Abuse.” The course covers many kinds of abuse in addition to sexual and domestic violence. You can get a fairly good idea of the course content by exploring my work with the Recovery from Abuse Resource Center at The National Association for Christian Recovery (NACR).
Why do you think it’s important for theological schools to offer this kind of training or teaching?
Well, there are lots of reasons. Jesus for one. And there’s the matter of us being sent to a world full of abuse. But I think near the top of the list is the fact that so many people who are attracted to the helping professions, including ministry, have a personal history of abuse, neglect, or trauma. If these matters are neglected in training for ministry, the risk that people will become distributers of shame rather than of grace will go up. And that is a tragedy. Seminary is a perfect opportunity to start working on issues of this kind.
What has surprised or challenged you as you teach this material?
I have taught this course at least a dozen times, and I continue to be surprised by how challenging it can be. It’s primarily challenging because of my own personal experiences with spiritual and emotional abuse. It’s also challenging because talking about abuse can be triggering for many, if not most, students. The vicarious trauma associated with teaching people about abuse is probably less intense than the vicarious trauma associated with actually working with survivors. But I have learned that it can’t be ignored. It’s quite predictable that something will hook my own issues during the course of the class. It comes with the territory.
What gives you hope as you do this work?
I’m convinced that all of us who are in the process of recovery from abuse will experience a point at which healing just doesn’t seem possible. Sooner or later we all come to the end of hope. Sometimes more than once. It’s in just such moments that it becomes possible to acquire some clarity about the answer to the question: What gives hope? In those moments when all hope is gone we find that the only source of hope that matters is God’s persistent love. It is God’s patience that helps us persist. It is God’s love that makes it possible for us to see past our self-loathing. And that makes hope possible. And it’s what makes it possible for me to continue doing the work I do.
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