Abusing Memory: The Healing Theology of Agnes Sanford

by Jane Gumprecht

And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? (II Corinthians 6:15,16)

Ever since the Fall, God's people have been tempted to mix with foreign gods. Many have given in. Evangelicalism's dance with modern psychology is no exception. For the past century, evangelicals have embraced a host of secular therapies, including Inner Healing.

Inner Healing is the methodology, widely used in evangelical circles, which claims to heal those painful memories hidden in the "unconscious" soul which hinder present happiness.

One name in particular stands out. Agnes Sanford has long been hailed as the mother of the Inner Healing/Healing of Memories movement. She almost single-handedly brought it out of Jungian psychology and New Thought into the Christian Church.

Though Agnes Sanford's methods are popular in various segments of the Church, they are anything but Christian. Jane Gumprecht walks us through Agnes Sanford's life and theology to unveil her deep compromises with non-Christian thought.

Genres: Theology

168 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[Hollie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was eye opening for me. I was not familiar with Agnes Sanford or Healing Memories when I began the book. I picked it up to obtain more knowledge regarding how the New Age/New Thought/Theosophy worked its way into the church. I learned a lot regarding those topics. I was shocked to learn how much the Occult is linked to much of what is embraced today in the church and society in general. Highly recommend this, especially if you like me, find yourself in circles that are embracing New Age thinking and attempting to pass it off as Christian (essential oil groups and alternate medicine/natural remedies in general).

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good refutation of much silliness and error which has crept into Christian counseling: "healing of memories," "healing your inner child," etc. Gumprecht show how all of this goes back to New Age/ New Thought influences. For me, the best part of the book was her expose of Freud and Jung.

[Noel Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not had any experience with 'inner healing', give thanks, and move along; this book will only weird you out. But if you have, then this is a much-needed refutation for the Church. Inner healing has always put my teeth on edge, and I view it with VAST amounts of skepticism. So when my husband grabbed this at a recent conference, I snatched it up.
It is no coincidence that 'inner healing' (can you just assume the scare quotes going forward?) came to the forefront about the same time as LSD. Pagans found their comfort in mind-altering drugs; spiritual people found their comfort in history-altering healing of memories.
The first part of the book addresses the historical foundations for inner healing and its bizarre founder, psychology-loving, gospel-rejecting Agnes Sandford. She basically made up her own Jesus, who goes back into your past with you, etc. Gumprecht ably refutes all her oddities with scripture. But it was the second half that is the meat, where Gumprecht really shines. Here she lays out the science of the brain. Two important facts about memories emerge. 1. Memories are fuzzy at best and cannot be trusted. 2. The brain is wired to remember trauma. When it comes to trauma, brains are like elephants; they never forget.
Honestly, though, my biggest problem with inner healing is the utter lack of scripture, even in principle, that would support inner healing. Look at the people in the Bible who suffered real trauma: Joseph, Job, Tamar, just to name a few. God offers ZERO zip/zilch/nada healing of memories. That is telling.
Inner healing is not truth; it is Freudian top to bottom.
Bottom line: icky subject, necessary book.