5 Questions For Elaine Storkey

Elaine Storkey, author of Scars Across Humanity, will present at this year’s Keswick Convention. We chatted to her about writing, books, activism.  

1. Why is it important to you to present at Keswick?

Keswick is a wonderful Christian teaching and celebration event, which focuses on unpacking the historic biblical faith for today. I love its emphasis on educating and inspiring Christians in their faith and calling through biblical teaching and worship. I am also delighted that it accepts the challenge of reaching out to reflect on cultural and global issues from a Christian perspective. So I’m grateful this year for the opportunity to deal with the issue of global violence against women and turn a biblical spotlight on it.

2. Scars Across Humanity, your book that examines and advocates against gender-based violence, was published in 2015. How does it resonate with readers today, particularly in our political climate?

I believe Scars Across Humanity has made an impact on people’s understanding of violence against women. Because it deals with so many forms of violence - selective abortion of girl babies, female genital mutilation, early, enforced marriage of child brides, honour killings, domestic violence, rape, trafficking, prostitution and sexual violence in war - it does learn from and speak into the experience of real people. It also challenges people who have been unaware of the sheer extent of it all. I’ve had many reviews and have spoken across the country and beyond, listening also to women’s own stories. I want to encourage people to feel confident that there is something we can all do (and must do) about eradicating violence against women. Christians do need a global perspective, not just because so many ‘far off’ global problems become our own, but because loving our neighbour as ourselves requires it. The second edition of my book, revised following the #MeToo outcry, came out this year in the USA. In it, I was also able to document many positive legal changes in North Africa and the Middle East. My aim in each edition has been to help people to see how biblical theology has everything to offer in understanding and responding to these issues.

3. You’re a founding member of Restored, an organization that advocates against violence to women. Tell us about it.

Restored was begun by Peter Grant who was then the International Director of Tearfund, of which I was President. He had seen too many examples of violence against women in Christian homes when he was travelling the world, and felt he needed to focus on building resources that combatted this. He joined forces as co-director with Mandy Marshall, also from Tearfund, and Restored has been very effective in drawing people across the UK, and far beyond into standing against gender-based violence. It has sponsored research and produced church packs and training programmes to help churches in particular. Peter also began a man’s initiative in Restored called ‘ first Man Standing’ which invites Christian men to reflect on their own relationships, and be on the watch elsewhere for ways of eradicating the violation of women. Peter retired this summer, but the work continues under Mandy and his successor Andrew Caplan, a former President of the Law Society.

4. Whose writing has inspired you?

I read heaps of Spurgeon sermons when I was a young student, and books about the English reformers, and women missionaries. Over the years I have enjoyed again George Herbert’s poetry, Lewis Caroll stories (and his philosophical writings) Henri Blocher, C.S Lewis, Lesslie Newbigin, Evan Runner, Catherine Kroeger, Tom Wright, Al Plantinga, Mary Evans, Ronald Rolheiser, Henri Nouwen, and a whole host of female novelists. I'm also inspired by my husband’s writing, especially his work on War or Peace!

5. What’s next for you as an author and advocate?

I have to finish a biography of Lyn Lusi who founded Heal Africa in Goma in the Congo, along with her congolese surgeon husband, ‘Jo’. Everything about Lyn’s faith inspired me. She was a woman of enormous integrity and activism, and utterly rooted in the Scriptures. Re advocacy, I’m very involved in the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) and I would like to see the UK pass legislation adopting the 'Nordic model'. This makes the buying of sex illegal, rather than the selling of sex, and recognises that the majority of women in prostitution are not there through ‘career choice’ (as some rather ridiculously claim) but through bad circumstances, deprivation, child abuse and exploitation. Having met former prostitutes over many years, I recognise the truth of that.

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