Toxic masculinity and abusive church leadership tend to go hand-in-hand. And the recent reports about the abuses of Mark Driscoll at Trinity Church in Scottsdale Arizona illustrate that to painful effect.
In this episode, we discuss the details of Driscoll’s abuses and discuss how they reveal a toxic need for control and submission that too often exists in evangelical circles.
We also take a look at toxic leaders in the bible, including King Saul and King David. We explore the insecurities that led to Saul’s paranoia, and the way David’s abuses of power led to instability in the kingdom later in his life.
Here are the sources we cite in this episode regarding the recent events at Mark Driscoll’s church:
- The Roys Report: Mark Driscoll Accused of Cult-Like Actions; 24/7 Surveillance, Mandated Loyalty
- Dear Pastor Mark (Open letter written by Chad Freese)
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
There's a particular brand of masculinity that we can joke about, but it can really be quite toxic and dangerous, particularly when it's in a place of power. Share on X
Driscoll has recently seemed to become a caricature of himself, but his actions still aren't unique to the experience of evangelical culture. Share on X
When you have an insecure leader, it's actually dangerous for the people who are underneath him. Share on X
An insecure, toxic leader is usually a domineering leader. Share on X
Leadership is a difficult thing. It's an uncertain thing. So if you're coming from a place of a deep character flaw or deep insecurity, it can really lead you down a bad path. Share on X
It's the kind of leader who always tries to control the situation and aggrandize himself that is not fit for leadership. Share on X
When you have power-hungry, controlling leaders, there's always a toxic environment that results from that. Share on X
We can't use David and Bathsheba as an excuse for why we continue to enable toxic leaders. Share on X
We all have sins and flaws. But when those sins and flaws are heightened by virtue of you having power and authority, you shouldn't have power and authority. Share on X
Power is not something that we should really want. Whenever we see someone in the bible with power, the most absolute that power is, the faster things seem to go south. Share on X
We all know what it feels like when we're in a toxic situation. There's a certain knot in your stomach and a certain sickness that comes over you. Listen to that instinct. Share on X
We need to be able to remove ourselves from toxic environments, as well as remove whatever is causing that environment to be toxic. Share on X
