Today marks the beginning of a new Thursday series blogging through the book The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen. Many thanks to the team of former ATI parents and students who have consented to contribute to this series. Their input has been invaluable.
If you’d like to read along, the plan is to do one brief post per chapter each Thursday. East post will summarize some key points and share some of the best quotes from each. The goal is to make some of the author’s helpful advice available in these posts, and to encourage you to purchase and read it yourself. (Please note: if you purchase by clicking on the book link above, Recovering Grace will get a small percentage of the sales price, which helps pay for the cost of hosting this blog.) If you can’t afford the book, but would still like to read it, www.worldcat.org offers a list of the libraries nearest you that have the book.
The introduction sets the stage by having both authors recount personal experiences they had that prompted them to write the book. The first is about a woman who was deeply afraid to talk to any pastor due to past manipulation and shame by “representatives of God.” This opened co-author Johnson’s eyes to the reality of spiritual abuse. The second story is about Frank, a man who had been so wounded by previous “helpers” that it literally took 15 minutes for him to cross the threshold into co-author Van Vonderen’s office. These authors have since developed a habit of talking “out loud and on purpose” about spiritual abuse rather than avoiding it. It is not their intention to stir up an angry crowd with torches and pitchforks; they write with a goal of helping.
However, they caution that as the reader revisits past experiences, some painful emotions may emerge. Some examples that come to mind are parents experiencing parental guilt, or others experiencing anger over unfulfilled promises and disillusionment. At a minimum, it can be frightening just to revisit old thought patterns and memories long buried and locked safely away. Thus the authors suggest that the reader use the information in the book with care, not as a weapon to attack but as an aid to help abusers and victims alike to break out of the cycle.
Helpful quotes from the introduction:
“I have consistently endeavored to preach the grace of God as our only hope for spiritual life and power; that God moves toward the broken, comforts the mourning, and satisfies the hungry. We consistently confront the pious pretending of Pharisaical legalism. What we have noticed is that wounded people get healed, and religious people get angry” (p. 12)
“When one person treats another in a way that damages them physically, we call that physical abuse. Damaging someone through emotional means is emotional abuse. Brainwashing is a phrase that describes psychological abuse. Spiritual abuse occurs when someone is treated in a way that damages them spiritually.” (p. 13)
"Most important, we want to say to those who are victims of spiritual abuse: We have heard the message from your heart. God never intended for you to be abused in His name. He is still for you.” (p. 14)
I would like to close this first post with a prayer for each person who will join with us, whether it be for one chapter or for the whole book:
“Father, you are the Good Shepherd, the one who gave his life for the sheep. Some of your sheep have been wounded, and what’s worse, wounded in your name. We ask for courage, honesty, and healing as we open our hearts, wounds, mistakes, dreams, healing and our future to you. We ask for your healing grace to pour over us when strong and painful emotions emerge, that we would be able to experience and work through those things and not be consumed by them or bury them once again. I know words are cheap, Father, but I truly ask you right now to bless each person who will work through portions of this book or the whole thing and that you would empower them, free them, heal them, help them sense your love and rest confidently in it. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”
(Click here to go on to Chapter 2)
I just finished reading the book this morning ... what a blessing! Thank you all so much for recommending it. It prompted an emotional session of deep purging and afterwards, sweet release from a lie of the enemy I'd believed for a very long time. I'm so grateful that God leads us gently along, always wanting us to believe the truth about Him and about ourselves. What joy and blessing to belong to Him - not because of my own performance but just because He chose to set His love on me. I would encourage everyone to read it - whether or not you think you've experienced spiritual abuse. What you learn about yourself and the Lord just might surprise you!
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[...] We conclude our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. [...]
[…] We continue our series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. […]
[…] The first post in the series is here. […]