Enroth demonstrates convincingly that authoritarian preachers, who twist Scripture and pass themselves off as Spirit-filled men (seldom women) of God, unconscionably exploit the trust of sincere and credulous believers for their own selfish benefit. We can benefit much from this timely, informative, and helpful treatment of the problem.
Description
The book that named spiritual abuse.
Long before "religious trauma" and "church hurt" entered our vocabulary, sociologist Ronald M. Enroth documented what happens inside authoritarian churches: congregations that look doctrinally sound from the pews but run on fear, guilt, and control. Drawing on dozens of interviews with ex-members, Churches That Abuse tells their stories, including eleven years inside George Geftakys' Assembly, the medical-neglect deaths of Hobart Freeman's Faith Assembly, a pastor's wife's "handmaid," and more.
Enroth identifies the marks of an abusive church that counselors and survivors still use today. Its leadership is control-oriented and accountable to no one. It manipulates members through fear, guilt, and threats. It fosters elitism and a persecution complex. It imposes rigid, legalistic demands on how members live. It discourages dissent and disciplines harshly. And it makes leaving painful, marked by shunning.
Written from inside evangelicalism, not against it, this is neither an attack on the church nor an apology for it. It is a sober, compassionate field guide to the difference between spiritual authority and spiritual abuse, and a way out for those caught inside.
Reviews
"A much needed and singular volume of case studies related to churches which abuse their members. Having collected the testimonies of numerous persons who have departed from such abusive churches, Enroth has woven this material into a larger tapestry of interpretation of the characteristics and methods of abusive churches. This he has done with professional skill and pastoral concern."
"A timely work. Enroth shows not only the individual crises suffered by abused believers, but the challenges these churches pose for the whole of Christianity. A very sobering and thought-provoking effort."
"We have been waiting a long time for such a book. It is a landmark event in this field and will be of immense value to former members of abusive groups, their families, and helping professionals."
