The Art of the Public Grovel: Sexual Sin and Public Confession in America Book

List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction: From Private to Public Confession 1

Part I: The Shift toward Public Confession

Chapter 1: Grover the Good, Belshazzar Blaine, and the Rapacious Woman 11
Chapter 2: In the Presence of the Elect (With the World Looking On) 22
Chapter 3: Aimee Sample McPherson and the Devil 38
Chapter 4: Confession Goes Public 56
Chapter 5: Ted Kennedy Misreads His Public 76

Part II: The Age of Public Confession

Chapter 6: Jimmy Carter, Traitor to the Cause 97
Chapter 7: Jim Bakker Shoots His Allies 115
Chapter 8: Jimmy Swaggart's Model Confession 143
Chapter 9: Clinton and the Three Public Confessions 152
Chapter 10: Unaware of Change 183
Conclusion: Predictions 207

Appendixes: The Texts of the Confessions Appendix A: Edward Kennedy's Confession 221
Appendix B: Jimmy Carter's Confession of "Lust in My Heart" 225
Appendix C: Jim Bakker's Original Confession 228
Appendix D: Jimmy Swaggart's Sermon of Confession 235
Appendix E: President Clinton's Statements and Confessions 240
Appendix F: Bernard Law's Apologies 265

Notes 287
Works Cited 315
Permissions for the Texts 323
Index 325