To Heal or Harm: Scripture's Use as Poison or Medicine for Abuse Survivors

by Steven R. Tracy

Scripture can play a unique and profound role in the lives of abuse survivors. It can be a powerful instrument for healing or harm. Unfortunately, it is most often a source of great harm. In over two decades of abuse ministry Steve Tracy's ministry, Mending the Soul, has found that some of the most extensive trauma harm is experienced by survivors who had Scripture misused against them by abusers or the abusers' collaborators. Sometimes survivors misuse Scripture against themselves. Furthermore, well-meaning family members and pastors are often inadequately equipped to apply relevant biblical texts to abuse survivors' needs. Even fewer are able to refute the most common, harmful misuses of Scripture. This book is designed to address this glaring need.

The first section lays the foundation for the rest of the book by briefly surveying the complex richness of Scripture and then give basic principles for proper biblical interpretation. The second section of the book surveys key biblical texts most commonly misused against survivors organizing them by topic (the family, church, etc.). Steve Tracy shows how key biblical texts have been misused and then explains what those texts do and do not mean. When possible, he also shows how these texts are applicable to and helpful for survivors. The last section surveys, by category, key biblical texts which are most helpful for abuse survivors' protection and healing. Finally, the book includes appendices surveying biblical teaching on various abuse-related topics.

Genres: Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[Kirk Miller]

I want to recommend this book to two groups of people:

(1) Those who experienced abuse along with Scripture being used to defend, excuse, mishandle, or cover up that abuse. I think you may find help here, to help you untangle how Scripture may have been misused—and how it instead is meant for good, not harm. Understanding these Scriptures won’t undo your abuse, but it may bring relief to see that God does not stand behind it, contrary to how his Word was weaponized in it.

(2) Pastors. Even if you don’t agree with everything in this book (I didn’t), I think you will be helped as you’re challenged to wrestle more carefully with interpretation and application of some critical passages. This book is essentially a hermeneutics text focused specifically on interpreting and untangling passages that are often misused in regards to abuse or those who have experienced abuse. Many of the passages dealt with in the book were ones I’ve witnessed firsthand being misused in abuse.

[Chris Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly all the accounts of abuse that survivors have disclosed to me were made exponentially more excruciating by a parent or pastor's misuse of Scripture. In To Heal or Harm, Steve Tracy empowers survivors to reclaim God's word as medicine rather than poison and equips all believers to rightly interpret the Bible. This is essential reading if the church is to offer protection for the vulnerable and healing for the abused.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid and interesting