Sacrifice Lost: The Dark Legacy of the Cross

Sacrifice Lost is a groundbreaking examination of how traditional narratives of Jesus’s crucifixion have facilitated and enabled systemic abuse within the Church. Through rigorous scholarship and compassionate storytelling, Theuring argues that inherited narratives of sacrificial violence have perpetuated harm against survivors of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. In Sacrifice Lost, Theuring centers survivors’ voices and stories, reimagining Christ’s death and resurrection through critical theological reflections for our time. This is a crucial wake-up call and guide for Christians to connect trauma, moral injuries, theology, and healing. Theuring imagines and offers a courageous path toward a more compassionate, inclusive, and just Church, reframing the cross as a symbol of radical love over violence and oppression.

Ashley Theuring is a practical theology scholar, educator, and advocate, with expertise in trauma theology. She earned her PhD from Boston University and currently serves as assistant professor in theology, Xavier University, Cincinnati. She also co-directs Xavier’s Graduate Theology Program and the Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice. She combines her theological depth with a commitment to social justice, having served as an advocate and educator for domestic violence prevention. She has made substantial scholarly contributions, especially in the areas of trauma, domestic violence, and moral injury within religious contexts, including her book Fragile Resurrection: Hope after Domestic Violence.