Spiritual Abuse And Seven Other Terms Defined
If you have found my website, you may be wondering if you, yourself, have experienced spiritual abuse or religious trauma. Or, maybe you’re a pastor, parent or parishioner just wanting to learn more about these terms you keep seeing on social media.
Welcome!
I hope this brief introduction to vocabulary being used in religious, mental health and recovery circles today will be a useful tool.
These Experiences Are Not New
First off, spiritual abuse, religious trauma and other terms found in this article are not a new thing. People are not playing victim cards all of a sudden or jumping on some “sexy deconstruction trend.” Abuse within religious organizations, churches and leadership has been around as long as there has been organized religion…or people for that matter.
There are books written specifically about spiritual abuse dating back decades ago with documentation of sex abuse, abuse of power, religious manipulation and more for centuries. People have long recognized spiritual abuse and the resulting trauma, but these experiences were never given a name. Because we live in the Information Age, people have been able to realize that these experiences are not limited to their church or community and are in fact, systemic. As our cultures have advanced, so has our understanding of science, mental health and the spiritual connectivity.
Many of these terms have yet to be recognized by the American Psychological Association, but as a result of collective raising of awareness and repeated public use, major strides have been made in recent years to educate and inform the public as well as mental health professionals. Gratefully, qualified research is also on the rise.
All definitions are by Rebekah Drumsta.
Abuse:
A misuse of a thing which someone uses to cause harm or distress. A pattern in which one individual uses fear, intimidation, violence or any other harm to control another.
Spiritual Abuse:
Using one’s power or authority to control, guilt, manipulate or coerce another with claims of Biblical or spiritual truth. This includes psychological or emotional manipulation and coercion through the use of spirituality which undermines (or removes) a person’s autonomous spiritual empowerment and focuses on external spiritual performance.
Trauma:
A response to a real or perceived experience or threat where you feel or are powerless.
Religious Trauma:
The deep psychological and spiritual injuries that arise from overwhelming experiences, relationships, abuses, or systemic issues within a religious context, leading to lasting adverse effects on an individual's mental, emotional, and social well-being.
This trauma disrupts one's core beliefs and sense of safety, often resulting in a painful process of deconstructing and rebuilding one's identity and worldview.
Religious trauma is the result of a spiritually abusive situation, system, person, experience or belief system.
Adverse Religious Experience:
An adverse religious experience is an encounter with religious beliefs, practices, or communities that disrupts a person’s sense of safety, freedom, or self-worth, often causing lasting emotional, psychological, or spiritual harm.
Deconstruction:
Dissecting beliefs, behaviors and lifestyles to discover for oneself what is real, true or right while detoxing from unhealthy mindsets and structures.
Reconstruction:
A rebuilding of one’s belief system, often after deconstruction, usually existing until peace can be made that one has worked out their new way of thinking, living or believing.
Spiritual Identity Disruption TM:
When what you belied or were taught about faith or spirituality collide with an opposing lived experience – which may include, abuse, trauma, and hypocrisy. This polarization cannot be reconciled using the existing foundation thus causing a disruption of identity and crisis of belief.
If you would like to explore these topics further, here is a list of places to start:
Trauma in the Pews - Dr. Janyne McConnaughey
The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse - Jeff VanVonderen
*Rebekah has had no association with GCRR since 2023.