74 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 8, 2017
Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of
Wholeness
Barbara M. Orlowski
Reviewed by Patrick J. Knapp
Eugene, OR: Wipf &Stock. (2010). ISBN-13:
978-1-60608-967-5 (paperback). $23.90
(Amazon.com) $9.99 (Kindle). 248 pages.
This book is a result of the author’s extensive
doctoral research on the topic of religious abuse
and recovery, identified as originating from
Evangelical, Pentecostal, or Charismatic (EPC)
churches. The primary focus of the book is on
how Christian believers most effectively
discover authentic healing after being spiritually
abused by those in church leadership. Through
the related experiences of those abused, the
author puts forth a challenge to clergy to
understand both the nature of spiritual abuse and
how they may best act as effective change
agents rather than continuing to contribute to the
problem.
The author’s research included an extensive
questionnaire that resulted in the completion of
110 individual surveys coming primarily from
Canada and the United States. Orlowski used
strict and careful criterion to identify those most
appropriate participants for the study. This
approach resulted in 100 individual surveys
being used in the final analysis of the research.
Seven of these surveys were completed by
clergy who had counseled with those who had
had religiously abusive experiences. The survey
included both quantitative and qualitative
factors.
Participants were asked
(a) the length of time they had attended their
previous home church, their ministry areas,
their date of exiting, how long ago they left,
the church’s Sunday attendance size, and the
geographic location of the church (urban to
rural). People’s marital status was not one of
the questions but as participants described
their situations, this factor was also
discerned and added to the data.
(b) what factors influenced their decision to
leave their home church.
(c) how these circumstances impacted them
emotionally, how they coped, and how they
processed their positive and negative
emotions.
(d) whether they had learned anything from this
experience, and whether they felt that God
had used this situation to mature them in
their faith.
(e) to describe what specific helps aided in their
spiritual recovery.
(f) whether they had found a church they could
call home, and what criteria they now had
for finding a home church.
(g) whether they felt personally disillusioned
with their former church group, and what
advice they would give to others who find
themselves in a similar circumstance.
(h) whether they had any shifts in their beliefs,
and whether their view of God or his Word
had been affected. They were asked if they
felt they were Pentecostal or Charismatic in
experience. In the final question,
participants were asked to describe their
journey with Christ today (p.143–144).
From each of these basic categories, Orlowski
derived information and made a detailed
quantitative and qualitative analysis of this
project. She provides a review of the primary
Christian literature, with a discussion of the
complex nature of the subject. She examines and
discusses reasons for and results of religious
abuse. She also considers various definitions of
spiritual or religious abuse. Further, she
examines the relational nature of this form of
abuse and explores the unique individual and
complex nature of recovery. She reviews the
healing role of community and the importance of
good theology. Orlowski gives considerable
Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of
Wholeness
Barbara M. Orlowski
Reviewed by Patrick J. Knapp
Eugene, OR: Wipf &Stock. (2010). ISBN-13:
978-1-60608-967-5 (paperback). $23.90
(Amazon.com) $9.99 (Kindle). 248 pages.
This book is a result of the author’s extensive
doctoral research on the topic of religious abuse
and recovery, identified as originating from
Evangelical, Pentecostal, or Charismatic (EPC)
churches. The primary focus of the book is on
how Christian believers most effectively
discover authentic healing after being spiritually
abused by those in church leadership. Through
the related experiences of those abused, the
author puts forth a challenge to clergy to
understand both the nature of spiritual abuse and
how they may best act as effective change
agents rather than continuing to contribute to the
problem.
The author’s research included an extensive
questionnaire that resulted in the completion of
110 individual surveys coming primarily from
Canada and the United States. Orlowski used
strict and careful criterion to identify those most
appropriate participants for the study. This
approach resulted in 100 individual surveys
being used in the final analysis of the research.
Seven of these surveys were completed by
clergy who had counseled with those who had
had religiously abusive experiences. The survey
included both quantitative and qualitative
factors.
Participants were asked
(a) the length of time they had attended their
previous home church, their ministry areas,
their date of exiting, how long ago they left,
the church’s Sunday attendance size, and the
geographic location of the church (urban to
rural). People’s marital status was not one of
the questions but as participants described
their situations, this factor was also
discerned and added to the data.
(b) what factors influenced their decision to
leave their home church.
(c) how these circumstances impacted them
emotionally, how they coped, and how they
processed their positive and negative
emotions.
(d) whether they had learned anything from this
experience, and whether they felt that God
had used this situation to mature them in
their faith.
(e) to describe what specific helps aided in their
spiritual recovery.
(f) whether they had found a church they could
call home, and what criteria they now had
for finding a home church.
(g) whether they felt personally disillusioned
with their former church group, and what
advice they would give to others who find
themselves in a similar circumstance.
(h) whether they had any shifts in their beliefs,
and whether their view of God or his Word
had been affected. They were asked if they
felt they were Pentecostal or Charismatic in
experience. In the final question,
participants were asked to describe their
journey with Christ today (p.143–144).
From each of these basic categories, Orlowski
derived information and made a detailed
quantitative and qualitative analysis of this
project. She provides a review of the primary
Christian literature, with a discussion of the
complex nature of the subject. She examines and
discusses reasons for and results of religious
abuse. She also considers various definitions of
spiritual or religious abuse. Further, she
examines the relational nature of this form of
abuse and explores the unique individual and
complex nature of recovery. She reviews the
healing role of community and the importance of
good theology. Orlowski gives considerable
