Remembering Antonia Teixeira

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Uncover the truth about a scandal that rocked the Texas Baptist community, long buried in silence. In 1894, Steen Morris raped Antônia Teixeira while both were guests at Baylor University president Rufus Burleson’s home. This assault marked the beginning of a series of attacks that ultimately left Antônia pregnant. Instead of seeking justice, Burleson and other influential Baptist leaders in Waco initiated a campaign of intimidation, victim-blaming, and cover-up to protect the institution's virtuous image. In this work, Mikeal C. Parsons and João B. Chaves meticulously reveal the layers of concealment surrounding the case, starting with Antônia’s father, Antônio Teixeira, a former Catholic priest who became a key figure in Brazil's Baptist community. They challenge romanticized narratives of the Southern Baptist Convention’s foreign missions, tracing Antônia’s journey north, her assault, and the ensuing scandal that was systematically erased from history. This iconoclastic and detailed account highlights how religious institutions have employed selective memory to maintain their power. By doing so, the authors take a crucial step toward dismantling oppressive structures. The book has been recognized as a finalist for the Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award in Biography (2023).