Karen A. McClintock, M.Div., Ph.D.

Shame-Less Lives,
Grace-Full Congregations

I wrote this book to help individuals and congregations recognize the ways that shaming others is too often a cultural norm. Taking my earlier work on healing sexual shame to the next level, two full chapters in this book examine ways that sexual behavior is defined by people in power and shamed.

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This book has helped thousands of workshop participants let go of shame!

In one congregation we started a group reading this book with about 25 people and ended up with 52 people by eight weeks, and then covenant groups picked up the book until nearly everyone in the congregation had read it. What happened? The congregation grew as new people were welcomed and affirmed.

This book invites readers to become shame-less, so they can assist others in a congregational system to find a life of joy and grace. I explore shame as a theological and psychological emotion, defining it as “a feeling of unworthiness in the sight of God or significant others.” I use gentle humor to talk about the shame I inherited in my own family of origin and the shame I carried for years. How shame comes around and goes around is explored in this book.

Reviews of Shame-Less Lives, Grace-Full Congregations

Wonderful Insight! Excellent information, timeless and helpful. Great for any denomination looking to grow in a positive way. Very well written and worth the read for sure!

Kathryn E, Hayden, Amazon reviewer

Karen McClintock invites you to be liberated from the destructive impact of shame on our lives and congregations. She encourages us to avoid the pitfalls of perfectionism, blaming, and toxic comparisons. She points to the damage caused by personal and sexual shame and inspires clergy and congregations alike to seek deep healing through the balm of God’s grace.

Doug Bixby, Author of “The Honest to God Church: A Pathway to God’s Grace”

McClintock provides us with an accessible corrective to the shame-filled lives our churches have taught us to live. Moving beyond shame liberates us from paralyzing self-loathing toward a healthier and more fulfilling faith. A must read for churches wishing to move their congregants toward healing from destructive shame-induced feelings.

Miguel A. De La Torre, professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies, Iliff School of Theology

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