Escaping the Maze
of Spiritual Abuse

Authors Lisa Oakley & Justin Humphreys
Publisher SPCK £10.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780281081318

Spiritual abuse, whilst not always being named as such, has been around in the church for generations. As the authors say, it can be bottom up, side-by-side or top down, and it is essential that it is recognised and named for what it is. In this compelling and accessible book the authors do exactly that. Without any hint of sensationalism and with real life, fully- anonymised examples the authors address key questions of the what, how and why of spiritual abuse. However, this is more than a retrospective overview; significant chapters explore the way forward in terms of the creation of safer cultures, and responding well to disclosures – again in a practical and easily accessible way. Research based, thorough and refreshingly light on jargon, I found this an easy read – not in terms of its subject matter – but because it broadened my horizons and deepened my understanding of this important aspect of the church’s ministry.

CHRIS BRACEGIRDLE

Ministry, Safeguarding