This book, as an exploratory sociological analysis, broadly examines the major structural factors which contribute to the social disorganization of the Catholic hierarchy as a clerical community, facilitating the persistence of clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Using some tenets of the social disorganization theory on crime and deviance as the overall theoretical framework with some perspectives from social organization, social network, and social capital, and secondary literature and qualitative data to support the arguments, it examines the (1) diocesan clergy’s social interaction, mutual support, and social control system in the hierarchical community, (2) connection between mandated clerical celibacy and clerical sexual abuse, and (3) the implication of the laity’s lack of empowerment and ecclesiastical authority to monitor and sanction clerical behavior. The Catholic hierarchy prides itself as a unified community of clerics under the Pope who shares the one priesthood of Christ. But the current clerical sexual scandals and the inability of bishops to adequately manage clerical sexual abuse cases make one wonders whether the Catholic clergy is indeed a cohesive and socially organized community which inhibits clerical sexual abuse. This book invites Church authorities, theologians, scholars, and lay leaders to understand the persistent clerical sexual abuse empirically and to come up with structural reforms which enhance the social network and social control systems of the Catholic hierarchy against clerical sexual misconduct and support victims.

1. Dr. Vivencio
Ballano’s
Forthcoming
Book
AN EXPLOSIVE BOOK THAT EXAMINES WHY CLERICAL SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT OF PRIESTS AND BISHOPS PERSISTS IN THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH. PRE-ORDER NOW AT SPRINGER.COM OR AMAZON BOOKS!

2. Published by the top scientific publisher of
books in the world: Springer Nature

3. What is a Springer Brief in Religious
Studies?
Springer Briefs in Religious Studies Series is designed to accommodate the growing social
scientific research on religion focusing on contemporary issues derived from the challenges of
religious diversity, globalization, ethics, law and politics, culture, history, philosophy, education,
psychology, society issues, etc. The Series fulfills a scholarly demand for short publications
focused on the discussion of new ideas, fieldwork experiences, challenging views, and
methodological and theoretical approaches to religion, from a global perspective. The Series will
publish innovative social scientific monographs and collections, through a high standard of
ethnographic and sociological analysis, which combine scholarly rigor with readable prose for
the benefit of scholars and students in various academic fields related to the world of religion.
All books to be published in this Series will be fully peer-reviewed before final acceptance.

4. Available in Amazon Books and online bookstores
worldwide!
Follow this link to pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/Sociological-Perspectives-Clerical-Catholic-
Hierarchy/dp/9811388245/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=clerical+sexual+abuse&qid=1561729837&s=books&sr=1-4

5. About the Author
Dr. Vivencio O. Ballano was a diocesan and Jesuit seminarian for 10 years and Theology professor
in Catholic universities for 12 years before becoming a sociologist. Currently, he is Associate Professor
V of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and College Researcher-Manager of the College
of Social Science and Development (CSSD) of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP),
Manila, Philippines. He received his doctorate in Sociology from the Ateneo de Manila University and
master’s degree in Theology from the Loyola School of Theology (LST), Ateneo de Manila University.
He is the author of the two Scopus-indexed books: Sociological Perspectives on Media Piracy in the
Philippines and Vietnam (2016) and Law, Normative Pluralism, and Post-Disaster Recovery: Evaluating
the Post-Disaster Relocation and Housing of Typhoon Ketsana Victims in the Philippines (2017), all
published by Springer Nature Singapore. His research interests include sociology of law, religion,
media piracy, post-disaster management, and Catholic Social Teaching. He is currently working on his
next project, also a Springer Brief in Religious Studies under Springer Nature Singapore, on Catholic
Social Teaching and the common good using the sociological approach.

6. Available at Springer.com
Follow this link to pre-order: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811388248