Resources

For Rebuilding Faith

Those who have experienced spiritual abuse often have so many questions—good questions—more than we can answer with our content alone. In an endeavor to help you find quality content and support, we’ve compiled the following directory of resources.

There is a lot of information here. If you’re still in the process of disentangling faith and hammering out what you believe, this page may become overwhelming. Please don’t feel pressured to find all the answers in a day. God sees where you are, He is pleased that you are seeking His truth, and He cares about you. If you find yourself becoming mentally/emotionally exhausted, we recommend taking a break and coming back at a later time when your mind is refreshed and able to focus. If it would help to share your story with someone, feel free to reach out! We’re here and happy to listen, as well as connect you with likeminded believers (when opportunities arise).

This resource page was created to be as comprehensive as possible, so feel free to bookmark it and take your time working through each topic. Please note, we are not in complete agreement with all the content, authors, and organizations we recommend. However, each source on this page has been carefully selected and vetted as much as possible for alignment with Christian values. If a resource made our list, then we believe it contains valuable information that is worth taking into consideration. We pray that these resources will encourage you as you heal from spiritual abuse and disentangle from harmful teachings.

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Content

 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

— Matthew 11: 28-30 —

Directory

Rebuilding Faith

Exiting from a high-control group can feel incredibly isolating, but you are not alone.

Spiritual abuse is a form of abuse that is not widely addressed, and it can have long-term effects on a person’s spiritual health. One of the most dangerous aspects of spiritual abuse is exposed in The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse; “Spiritual abuse puts people at odds with their best Friend. It causes some people to question, doubt, and even run the other direction from their Source.” In Churches That Abuse, Ronald Enroth also puts it well: “Unlike physical abuse that often results in bruised bodies, spiritual and pastoral abuse leaves scars on the psyche and soul.” Spiritual abuse is harmful because it makes its victims question the safety of the One who is supposed to be a safe refuge and protection.

Examples of spiritual abuse can be found in the Bible, but the term “spiritual abuse” was coined in the publication of The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse in 1991. In 1992, a similar book that was written by Ronald Enroth, Churches That Abuse, describing the ten identifying traits of abusive churches: control-oriented leadership, spiritual elitism, manipulation of members, perceived persecution, lifestyle rigidity, emphasis on experience, suppression of dissent, harsh discipline of members, denunciation of other churches, and the painful exit process. Other teachers and authors on this topic share similar observations. If any of those traits sound unfortunately familiar, you’ll want to explore the rest of this page to learn more.

As you start to understand the reality of spiritual abuse, a great starting place on this place is to learn about grace. Once you are able to reacquaint yourself with God’s sweet grace (or perhaps for the first time), you will hopefully be able to take the pressure off of yourself, find rest, and allow yourself to grieve if you need to. Understanding God’s grace is a crucial point to begin your healing journey. Start with this video.

Rebuilding Faith

 The Bible

Untwisting

Rebuilding

Choosing a translation

KJV-Onlyism

Additional resources (free concordances, commentaries, Interlinear Bibles)

 

The Church

Healthy Churches Vs. Unhealthy Churches

Denominations

Tithing 

The Gospel

 

Salvation

Faith And Works

Apologetics

Rebuilding Faith as a Family

Book Recommendations on Discipling Your Kids

Other Resources

  • Tiny Theologians: Amy Gannett
  • Daily Grace Co.
  • Phylicia Masonheimer

Books for Kids 

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’“

 

— Romans 10:9-13 —