Abstract
This book is somewhat misleading in its title. It does not focus so much on the issue of sexual misbehaviour by the clergy, rather it seems to review every psychological mechanism which might be relevant to an understanding of the problem. As an overview of psychodynamic systems theory, it is quite useful. A description is provided of everything from projective identification to triangulation. At times, it is difficult to understand the applicability of some of these concepts to the issue of clergy sexual abuse. By undertaking such a wide sweep of theoretical concepts, the analysis becomes somewhat diffuse and does not provide a coherent account of the problem. It seems that the author is involving every known psychological mechanism to explain the phenomenon of clergy misconduct. In so doing, however, everything is explained and nothing is understood. Perhaps this difficulty arises because the problem is complex and there may be no particular syndrome that typifies it.
After the extensive theoretical overview, which takes up most of the book, a case history is finally presented. Like the rest of the book, this section too is quite unfocused and does not provide a coherent picture. The case is given an historical context going back more than 100 years. It is an interesting and very complex systems perspective but so over-inclusive as to leave the reader without a clear understanding of the central issues.
I would describe the book as an overview of psychodynamic and systems theories with an exclusive focus on clergy misconduct to illustrate these psychological phenomena. In this regard, it is a useful book, but I doubt that it was the author's intention to write an overview of psychological defence mechanisms. If prospective readers are so informed at the outset, they will approach the book with these expectations and find it useful. For those who wish only to understand the phenomenon of sexual abuse by the clergy, the information provided will not make for a concise understanding.