Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of Wholeness

by Barbara M. Orlowski

What factors contribute to active Christians in ministry leaving their church and becoming exiting statistics? Every year dedicated Christian people leave churches because of spiritual abuse. The stories of people who left their home church because of a negative and hurtful experience paint a picture of a widespread occurrence which beckons consideration by church leaders and church congregants alike. Spiritual abuse, the misuse of spiritual authority to maltreat followers in the Christian Church, is a complex issue. This book shows how people processed their grief after experiencing spiritual abuse in their local church and how they rediscovered spiritual harmony. Their spiritual journey shows how one may grow through this devastating experience. This book offers a thoughtful look at the topic of spiritual recovery from clergy abuse through the eyes of those who have experienced it. It invites church leaders to consider this very real dysfunction in the Church today and aims to demonstrate a path forward to greater freedom in Christ after a season of disillusionment with church leadership.

Genres: Spirituality

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tami]

It is commonly believed that people are turning away from religion. Church membership numbers are clearly down. Therefore, it is assumed that people are not making their faith a priority. Is this really the reason? Are people leaving their church communities because they are lazy, sinful, or otherwise backsliding in regards to their faith?

Spiritual Abuse Recovery is an enlightening book. Far too often, we make assumptions about why people stop going to church and what happens afterwards. For many, leaving the community comes after chronic mistreatment (abuse), misuse of spiritual authority from the church leadership. Feeling ashamed, abandoned, and with no community to support them, most individuals never have the opportunity to tell their story. Therefore, the rest of the congregation simply believes that these individuals have fallen from grace.

The really interesting thing is that the majority of people who do leave their church do not leave their faith. In fact, they go to great extremes to preserve their values, morals, and to connect with others like themselves. For a growing number of individuals, they are finding community on the Internet and in small groups meeting in basements and living rooms. Moreover, some of these people, like the author herself are reaching out to others and teaching church leaders how to heal the hurt and rebuild trust.

[Lori]

This is an excellent book, discussing not only the recovery process of those who have been hurt by unhealthy church leadership, but what biblical (healthy) church leadership should look like. There is hope for the hurting. Those who move forward in the grace of God will not only become whole, but find fullness of joy. They can also be part of the healing process for others who are experiencing loss, grief and lack of trust due to negative and hurtful experiences resulting from the misuse of spiritual authority.

[Jenai Auman]

I used Orlowski's research to inform my own research for a course that I am currently in. I also found it informative on my own personal experiences. Her work would mostly be informative to pastoral counselors; I'm not entirely sure it would be as helpful to clinical practitioners who do not hold a Christian worldview.

[T.Kay Browning]

A hyper focus on those who fit the authors criteria of "mature Christians" as the only trustworthy sources of stories about abuse dooms this book to its own agenda of true Christianity as immune from abuse.