Overview

Hurting Kids explores religion's impact on Americans' beliefs about justice and on teenagers who get in trouble with the law. Why do many of us assume that punishment is an appropriate moral response to crime? How have diverging Christian narratives about divine punishment and God's mercy supported different responses to juvenile wrongdoing? What do these competing notions of justice imply for youth """"offenders"""" today, nearly all of whom have been violated by the unjust and traumatic circumstances of their lives? Weaving together research on the juvenile justice system, theological analysis, self-examination of white privilege, and the stories and perspectives of incarcerated youth, Hurting Kids asks us to understand and care about the complicated humanity of a population of teenagers who are often deemed not only """"delinquent"""" but dispensable. Sharing snippets of her conversations with incarcerated youth, Lelwica demonstrates that whatever harm these kids have inflicted on others is rooted in the painful experiences they have survived--experiences that are shaped by systemic injustices that benefit people with privilege. Ultimately, Hurting Kids challenges common assumptions about """"guilt"""" and """"innocence,"""" while advocating for a kind of justice for youth that promotes equity, compassion, accountability, and healing for all.

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9781666735536

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Reviews

"""In her thoughtful and passionate book, Michelle Lelwica explores the 'afterlife of religion in secular culture' through the voices of delinquent youth for whom the multiple stresses of poverty and racism seem to reveal a judging and condemning God. Lelwica traces her own journey toward a realistic and compassionate awareness of systemic racism in a society in which all are both victims and perpetrators, a society in which some benefit while others are harmed. Hurting Kids is insightful and helpful, a necessary read."" --Margaret R. Miles, professor emerita of historical theology, Graduate Theological Union ""This book is a veritable tour de force, a clear and compelling handbook for the heartbreaking pursuit of compassionate justice for our nation's most vulnerable youth. A quilt of research and 'me-search' (memoir) of exploration and expos�, Hurting Kids shatters myths surrounding racism, inequity, justice, trauma, white supremacy, Christian theology, and the juvenile detention system. Read it, teach it, and act upon on it--the young people's lives Lelwica bears witness to demand nothing less of us."" --Jacqueline Bussie, author of Love without Limits ""Getting close to overlooked religious and social concerns is Michelle Lelwica's forte. Her impeccable scholarship has offered keen insights into gender, our bodies, and now Hurting Kids--incarcerated youth. With a humble, kind, and critical eye, Lelwica invites us to witness the humanity of suffering juveniles, who in turn reveal what genuine compassion and freedom are. This remarkable book makes a compelling case for compassionate and responsible justice for hurting kids."" --Roy Hammerling, professor emeritus of religion, Concordia College"

Author Information

Michelle Mary Lelwica is professor of religion at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), where she teaches courses on religion, gender, race, culture, and the body. She received her master's of theological studies and doctorate of theology degrees from Harvard Divinity School. She's the author of Shameful Bodies (2017), The Religion of Thinness (2009) and Starving for Salvation (1999), and scholarly articles on embodied pedagogy and on Christianity's hidden influence on American cultural norms.

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