On This Rock: A Call to Center the Christian Response to Child Abuse on the Life and Words of Jesus

Jesus was the descendant of sexually exploited women, narrowly survived a child homicide, and grew up to be the world’s most prominent defender of children. Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who abused or neglected children and went so far as to say our treatment of children says everything about our view of God. Although the early church took this message to heart and distinguished itself by its treatment of children, this message has been distorted or ignored by many modern Christian leaders. As a result, the church has often failed to protect children from abuse and, in many instances, has contributed to their maltreatment.

In this insightful book, Christian theologian and internationally recognized child abuse expert Victor Vieth examines the role of Jesus’ life and teachings in reducing child abuse in the New Testament world. Vieth urges Christians to once again take seriously everything Jesus had to say about children. Using the teachings of Jesus as a blueprint, Vieth sets forth a proposal for church reform to prevent many cases of abuse, improve the pastoral care of survivors of abuse, and witness to the world that Christian faith shows itself in service to children.

Victor I. Vieth is a former prosecutor who went on to direct the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse. He is also the founder of the National Child Protection Training Center, the president of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, and serves on the board of directors of GRACE. His honors include the Pro Humanitate Award from the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. His degrees include an MA from Wartburg Theological Seminary.


Winston D. Persaud is Professor of Systematic Theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, where he has taught since 1984. Born in Guyana, South America, Persaud has also served there as a parish pastor in the Lutheran Church. During that time, he was active in the ecumenical work of the Guyana Council of Churches and the Caribbean Conference of Churches.