Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences

by Ken Blue

Book Overview

Asserting that spiritual abuse in the church is more common than we realize, Ken Blue examines the causes of spiritual abuse, identifies abusive patterns, offers healing to those who have suffered abuse and describes how leaders should model the gospel of grace.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830816607
• ISBN13: 9780830816606
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 166 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Six stars

Most books I've read on this subject focus mainly on extreme spiritual abuses. This book covers the more subtle, gray shades of abuse that are so much more common--and does so by cutting to the sources of errant teaching on authority/submission. I needed this one badly.

What a Blessing!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is hurting from having been put down, abused, hurt, shamed or just plain bulled by their "spiritual" leader(s). Ken does an excellent job of showing what Scripture actually says about leaders and their role in the body. And he shows you just what your responsibility to the body is and where that responsibility ends. Many well meaning pastors today cross that line and Ken shows you Biblically where it is.

Awesome Book

Ken Blue disucssed not only the abused side of spiritual abuse, but also covered the abuser. This was a balanced look at where spiritual abuse comes from, and steps to take to be healed from it. It had an awesome emphasis on the grace of God. All those who have been feeling like the church has done more harm than help to them should read this book. There is a firm biblical foundation in all that is written. It was an awesome book to read to get a better understanding of what is really going on whith the church, and how people are able to abuse church goers so easily. I would recommend it to all people who are in the church, be they part of the church staff or occasional church goers.

A gateway out of a lifetime of spiritual bondage.

Ken Blue interweaves simple, down-to-earth definitions of spiritual abuse with examples from the experiences of real people. Having grown up in an abusive church, I found it difficult even to give myself permission to pick up this book and start reading. His style was disarming, and the accounts of people's experiences were chillingly compelling. After the first few chapters, I was able for the first time in my life to use the word abuse in connection with that church.Near the end, the author includes a checklist of characteristics of a "Significantly Abberant Christian Oraganization." Honestly scoring my church on that list is what precipitated my escape, for it gave me compelling, common-sense reasons for breaking off contact with that organization.Walking away from spiritual abuse is a slow, painful process. My journey to healing didn't start, or end, with this book. But it was essential to one of the most significant steps I had to take in leaving the abusive environment behind.

Should Be Required Reading for every Religious person

This book is very helpful in relationships, especially pastoral to congregation relationships, but is very effective in protecting the integrity of interpersonal relationships as well. Though written from a Christian perspective, it can be helpful to every religiously oriented individual. This is because, with religion being so focused on right from wrong, it is easy to overstep onto someone, and accuse them or treat them as if they have done something morally or ethically wrong, when in fact they have not. This is the general them of the book, and it is written with a sensitivity to both the abused, who need healing, and to the abuses, who also need healing and correct information. Written in clear, straight forward English, it was a pleasure to read.