Families, Social Responsibility, and Experiencing Shame

Prompted by conversations at the Society of Christian Ethics and the author’s own family history marked by divorce, single motherhood, and suicide, this essay examines how shame can isolate individuals rather than foster healing. Drawing on Brené Brown’s assertion that shame impedes empathy and engaging Greg Ten Elshoff’s work, the piece critiques how moral judgment within families and faith communities can deepen trauma. Ultimately, it challenges the practice of using shame as a tool for moral formation, advocating instead for compassion and support in moments of vulnerability and failure.