Churches That Abuse by Ronald M. Enroth

From the Back Cover

"Timely,. authoritative, and valuable. Gripping reading!" --

Margaret Thaler Singer, Univ. of California, Berkeley

". . . will serve as a classic." -- Christian Research Journal

". . . may help break the spell of abusive ministers and churches." --

Christianity Today

". . . a well-documented and invaluable exposure of spiritual abuse from power-hungry leaders."

-- Johannes Aagaard, The Dialog Center International, Denmark

... the visible signs of abusive religious groups are all around us and evident in media reports in our day. "Fringe" churches and religious groups often manifest sociological and psychological traits that can only be "abusive": control-orientated leadership, spiritual elitism, manipulation of members, suppression of dissent, harsh discipline, perceived persecution, to name a few.

Ronald Enroth's research and writings on cults, sects, and religious aberrations over many years have gained him a national reputation as an authority on unconventional religion. Here he describes how the troublesome traits are expressed, not hesitating to name names. Here also is help for victims who have found their way out and for people who work with them to put their lives back together.

Ronald M. Enroth is professor of sociology at Westmount College, Santa Barbara, California. Among his books on the cults and new religions are The Lure of the Cults and New Religions and Evangelizing the Cults.

Contents

Ch. 1 INTRODUCTION - Abusive Churches: A View From Within

Ch. 2 FRINGE AND FANATICISM - Abusive Churches Can Go Over The Edge

Ch. 3 PAST AND PRESENT - Abusive Churches Are Not New

Ch. 4 AUTHORITY AND POWER - Abusive Churches Misuse Spiritual Authority

Ch. 5 MANIPULATION AND CONTROL - Abusive Churches Use Fear, Guilt, and Threats

Ch. 6 ELITISM AND PERSECUTION - Abusive Churches See Themselves As Special

Ch. 7 LIFE-STYLE AND EXPERIENCE- Abusive Churches Foster Rigidity

Ch. 8 DISSENT AND DISCIPLINE - Abusive Churches Discourage Questions

Ch. 9 EXIT AND ADJUSTMENT - Abusive Churches Make Leaving Painful

Ch. 10 DISCERNMENT AND RESPONSE - Abusive Churches Present A Warning

Ch. 11 CHALLENGE AND CHANGE - Abusive Churches Will Always Exist

Preface

This has been a difficult book to write because it is a book that is critical of other Christians. One always runs the risk of being misunderstood and labeled "judgmental" or arrogant when you make evaluative statements regarding Christian believers and organizations outside your own immediate circle. The book is about churches and other Christian organizations that inflict psychological and spiritual abuse upon members through the use of fear, guilt, and intimidation.

However, when we refuse to pass judgment on any religious phenomenon for fear that such judgments might violate the norm of tolerance so prevalent in our culture, we abdicate our responsibility to the body of Christ to sound a warning where a warning is justified. Some boats need to be rocked, even Christian boats. The years of research that have gone into this book have validated to me the truth of a placard I display in my office: "Those who make it hardest to be a Christian in this world are the other Christians."

I can safely predict that not one of the groups discussed in these pages will agree that they deserve such mention. They will protest that they have been unfairly portrayed, that I have listened to "a few disgruntled former members" whose words should not be trusted, and who are not representative of the membership.

Let me assure the reader that the information I convey in this book is based not on my own fanciful imagination but on the actual experiences of real people whose accounts can be independently verified and who, to the best of my knowledge, have been truthful about their encounters with churches that abuse. Despite the defensive protestations of authoritarian leaders that ex-members of their churches lie, distort the facts, and are "accusers of the brethren," there is abundant evidence that a serious problem of abuse exists in the Christian community.

Researching and writing Churches That Abuse was often a depressing experience because in recounting their days in abusive environments, the survivors I talked with had to relive the pain and confusion, and yes, the anger. Sometimes they were embarrassed to admit that they had allowed these things to happen to them. They felt the absence of understanding people willing to help them "pick up the pieces."

It is my hope that this book will provide a context for understanding. If we have basic information about a subject, we can sometimes take preventative action. Regrettably, it is not always possible to "get through" to people already caught up in abusive churches. They do not see themselves as being manipulated or in any danger of spiritual abuse. Hence, the frustration of parents, relatives, and friends who try to reach or "rescue" them. There are no easy solutions to this problem.

In the final analysis, the book presents a hopeful outlook. Not only can individuals leave abusive churches and achieve recovery and restoration, but there are encouraging signs that some groups are themselves recognizing the need for change and are moving away from the fringe towards the centre. May their numbers increase.

This book can be obtained at www.amazon.com.