The Diocese's Darkest Chapter

From its quiet inception in 1988, to a hailstorm of statewide and national controversy over thirty years later, this book follows the development of public discourse regarding a clergy sexual abuse scandal in a small Catholic Diocese in Central Pennsylvania.  Weaving together the evolving local and national narratives, it offers a striking account of how stakeholder rhetoric has influenced public perception of the Catholic abuse crisis in America, and driven public actions. While the book enriches our local knowledge of the tragic--and ongoing--cultural trauma triggered by the revelation of clergy perpetrated abuse in a small Catholic Diocese, it also makes a critical theoretical contribution to our understanding of the role of rhetoric in publicizing private pain, and galvanizing collectives to take it on as their own. The process of cultural trauma, Niebauer contends, unfolds through rhetorical forms that provide individuals with a constraining and enabling set of rhetorical choices. Highlighting the recurrent rhetorical forms of narration, kategoria, apologia, and topoi, The Diocese's Darkest Chapter brings a new vocabulary and explanatory force to the study of cultural trauma, and the Catholic abuse crisis in America. 

 

“The Diocese's Darkest Chapter is a thoughtful and innovative case-study of the ways in which clergy abuse scandals are understood in public discourse, and the author’s research is impressive. The book tells us much about how ordinary people process and interpret such devastating traumas. The study lays an excellent foundation for future work.” (Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University)

"A work of exceptional merit. Niebauer deftly integrates theory, grounded research, and analysis from across several disciplines. The result is a nuanced, carefully reasoned, and deeply-informed treatment. The Diocese’s Darkest Chapter will quickly assert itself as required reading for both general readers and scholars of this difficult but compelling subject.” (Stephen Howard Browne, Liberal Arts, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University)

“An essential contribution to our understanding of what is indeed a dark chapter in the history of the Catholic Church. The detailed focus on a local diocese offers compelling examples of a widespread practice of abuse. The analysis of rhetoric and narrative brings new dimensions to the theory of cultural trauma.“ (Ron Eyerman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Yale University)

“The Diocese’s Darkest Chapter is an innovative scholarly work, guided by a clear sense of intertwined civic and moral purpose. Niebauer’s investigation of testimony during community deliberations over justice, harm, and repair following clergy sex abuse in a local Catholic community is thoroughly researched, persuasively argued, and publicly consequential. This book makes a valuable contribution to interdisciplinary scholarship on the many legacies of trauma in contemporary public life.” (Bradford Vivian, Ph.D., Liberal Arts, Professor of Communication Artsand Sciences. The Pennsylvania State University)

“When Catholic bishops prioritized defensive image management for clergy over healing for victims of sexual abuse, they unwittingly primed the Church to face protracted public battle. This book insightfully unpacks how rhetorical resources, institutional arenas, and communal identities shaped this cultural trauma. I especially appreciate how Niebauer clarifies the moral tradeoffs between legal redress and private reparation and spotlights an oft-overlooked stakeholder in this case: lay parishioners who ultimately bear the costs of institutional wrongdoing.” (John B. Hatch, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Eastern University, Senior Fellow, Christianity and Communication Studies Network)

"Theoretically monumental and methodologically meticulous, The Diocese's Darkest Hour offers an excavation of the rhetorical construction of the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis as it emerged over thecourse of 38 years in one diocese in Pennsylvania. The subtlety and deftness of Niebauer's analysis belies its profound reach. Niebauer's account offers a framework for understanding cultural trauma not only for this case, but for the tragically inevitable traumas before us." (Patricia Ewick, Professor Emerita, Clark University) 

"The Diocese’s Darkest Chapter is a powerful testament to the way that survivors have reshaped public discourse about sexual assault. Through their courage and advocacy, Pennsylvania survivors transformed their trauma into public resources for communal justice, collective memory, and social healing.  Niebauer provides a textured history of resilience and change — a valuable resource for all Americans as we continue to come to terms with the cultural trauma of religion and sexual abuse." (Brian J. Clites, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Co-Director, Cleveland Humanities Collaborative, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University)

Allison Niebauer is a scholar of communication with particular interests in stakeholder conflict, public memory, and historical injustices. She received her PhD in Rhetoric from The Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Communication Arts and Sciences. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, to include Rhetoric and Public Affairs and Rhetoric Society Quarterly. She is currently a Presidential Management Fellow with the United States Forest Service in Washington, D.C.