Understanding Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse

What Is Spiritual Abuse?

Writer Haley Horton defines spiritual abuse as “us[ing] religious texts or beliefs to coerce, control, manipulate, or abuse someone knowingly or unknowingly.” Keep in mind that spiritual abuse and the ensuing trauma (see the section below) aren’t tied to any particular religion. Rather, more fundamentalist expressions of any faith are breeding grounds for abuse. Churches or religious communities that adhere to a strict hierarchy of authority; male-dominated leadership; a heightened fetish toward sexuality or purity culture; the belief in a sacred, inerrant text; and a culturally isolated “us vs. them” mentality are practicing predatory theology and spiritual abuse. If fear was a motivating factor for obedience, if the threat of eternal damnation or divine violence was held over your head, or if you were subjugated and required to submit due to your gender, you’ve been the victim of spiritual abuse. 

What Is Religious Trauma?

As mentioned above, religious trauma is the result of spiritual abuse. Dr. Marlene Winell, author of Leaving the Fold, coined the term “religious trauma syndrome,” defining it as “the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination.” Sound familiar?

We often relegate trauma to extreme situations like war, bullying, physical abuse, sexual assault, or natural disasters, but living under oppressive religious or spiritual systems is just as harmful. Why? Because spiritual abuse attacks our core values, often taking away our agency, identity, and self-trust, replacing them with a set of rules, self-loathing, and fear of anything “outside” or “different.”

Do You Have Religious Trauma?

If you aren’t sure if you’ve been the victim of spiritual abuse, or if you are struggling to identify the exact reasons for your religious trauma, check out these telltale signs. As a child, if you weren’t allowed to ask questions, have doubts, question authority figures, or come to your own conclusions about God, the Bible, or sexuality, you’ve probably been a victim of spiritual abuse. If as an adult you experience impeded sexual development, learned helplessness, an over-reliance on authority figures, a lack of critical thinking skills, depression, anxiety, poor interpersonal boundaries, and poor decision-making skills, you might be a victim of religious trauma.  

Religious trauma and spiritual abuse produce negative core beliefs about ourselves, our world, and our God. And these beliefs, and the ensuing trauma created by them, can only be overcome by love. In their book Rooted in God’s Love, Dale and Juanita Ryan write, “Spiritual abuse is a kind of abuse that damages the central core of who we are. It leaves us spiritually disorganized and emotionally cut off from the healing love of God.” Recovering from religious trauma takes time. And while leaving toxic faith communities is a start, true freedom and healing involves a lifetime of self-love. If you think you’ve been the victim of spiritual abuse and are experiencing religious trauma, we highly recommend checking out the resources below, as well as finding a trauma-informed therapist.

Learn More about Religious Trauma

• “Religious Trauma Syndrome,” Dare to Doubt

• “What Is Religious Trauma?” The Sophia Society

• Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion by Dr. Marlene Winell

• “Religious Trauma Is Real Trauma,” The Sophia Society

• “Recognizing and Healing from Religious Trauma with Jess Hugenberg,” Holy Heretics podcast (and Jess’s Instagram account, Welcome to the Process)

• Religious Trauma Counseling

• “Seven Ways to Overcome Religious Trauma Syndrome,” Josh de Keijser