Understanding Religious Abuse and Recovery: Discovering Essential Principles for Hope and Healing

Understanding Religious Abuse and Recovery

Discovering Essential Principles for Hope and Healing

Patrick J. Knapp

Foreword by Michael Langone

Understanding Religious Abuse and Recovery

Discovering Essential Principles for Hope and Healing

Copyright © 2021 Patrick J. Knapp. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Pickwick Publications

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paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-8649-8

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-8650-4

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-8651-1

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Names: Knapp, Patrick J., author. | Langone, Michael, foreword.

Title: Understanding religious abuse and recovery: discovering essential principles for hope and healing / by Patrick J. Knapp; foreword by Michael Langone.

Description: Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2021 | Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Identifiers: isbn 978-1-7252-8649-8 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-7252-8650-4 (hardcover) | isbn 978-1-7252-8651-1 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Psychological abuse victims—Religious life. | Psychological abuse—Religious aspects. | Recovery movement—Religious aspects.

Classification: BV4596.P87 K63 2021 (print) | BV4596.P87 (ebook)

12/17/20

Table of Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Historical Overview

Section 1: Historical Relevance of the Problem

Section 2: Recent Literature Review

2. An Evaluative Standard and Apologetic

Worldviews: A Brief Overview

The Standard—A Christian Worldview

The Apologetic—A Reasoned Approach

3. Evaluation of Approaches to Religious Abuse and Recovery

Evaluative Question 1

Evaluative Question 2

Evaluative Question 3

Evaluation Question 4

4. A Fifth Perspective (Secure)

Section 1: SECURE—Six Basic Principles of Recovery From Religious Abuse

Section 2: ASCRIBED—Eight Core Recovery Needs and Associated Healing Activities

Section 3: A Seven-Stage Process of Recovery

Section 4: SECURE—Advanced

5. Remaining Research and Development (SECURE)

Acceptance of a Theologically Consistent Christian Worldview

New Applications of Empirical Research

Education on Family Systems Theory

Psychosocial and Spiritual Formation

Popular Literature on the SECURE Perspective

Application of Emotion-Focused Therapy

Integrative Approaches to Cultic Studies

Appendix A: Glossary for the SECURE Approach

Appendix B: SECURE—Essential Recovery Principles

Appendix C: Resources for the Secure Approach

References

To Mary Knapp, the mother who modeled tenacious learning and Heidi Knapp, beloved spouse who provided consistent necessary emotional support and encouragement.

Without our lives being explained in relation to the larger picture, we lack the glasses to see reality adequately, correctly, and coherently. The need for the sharper vision has been replaced by a concern for the sharper image: How do I look, feel, and come across?

—Francis Schaeffer, 2002, p. 23

Foreword

This book, which is based on the author’s doctoral research, is scholarly in genesis and scope, yet practical in purpose. The goal of the book is to develop a counseling approach that is rooted in a thoughtful exploration of philosophical, theological, and psychological concepts pertinent to religious abuse.

The author is transparent about the fact that he operates within a Christian worldview. His perspective, however, is not a mere bias. He explores in depth and with respect other approaches to the issue of religious abuse. He finds value in all, and he disagrees with all. That is the mark of somebody who thinks synthetically, who tries to integrate ideas that to the casual observer may seem incompatible. When it works, which it does in this book, such an integration is creative. It is a new way of looking at what exists by bringing known things together in a new framework.

This is not a cookbook. It is not a handbook. It is not a manual. The book is not meant for people seeking simple and straightforward answers to the multifaceted problems posed by religious abuse. This is a book for people who recognize that the religious impulse springs from the depths of one’s consciousness and, therefore, that the abuse of religious feeling, faith, and seeking will not be a simple phenomenon to analyze or to heal.

Dr. Knapp reviews the history of religious abuse and recent scholarly and professional literature relevant to the topic. He then evaluates the pros and cons of the most prominent approaches to the problem of religious abuse. He applies this knowledge to the development of an innovative and integrative theory of recovery, using the SECURE acronym to summarize the principles (safe haven, emotions, cognitive focus, unconditional positive regard, relationships, and education). From these principles, he derives a practical approach to helping people recover from religious abuse.

Lastly, he ends with the scholarly humility with which he began his research. He discusses what needs to be done to advance understanding of the topic.

I am pleased that such a thoughtful book has been published. I trust that the reader will agree.

Michael Langone, PhD

Executive Director International Cultic Studies Association

Editor-in-Chief, ICSA Today

Preface

Throughout history a great many people have been significantly injured by those using religious beliefs for justification. This has occurred both unintentionally and sometimes with planned deliberation. Due to felt shame and discomfort in speaking about their abuse, this sort of injury happens more than we realize. Many of us have known others and/or perhaps we ourselves, who have experienced abusive religious leaders. Understanding this abuse and finding healing from it, can be overwhelming. In this book, I seek to provide thoughtful and emotionally connective answers to serious questions about religious abuse and recovery.

Included in this book are insights from the experience of my own bible-based religious abuse (1970–1984), my recovery, and over three decades helping others heal from their abuse. The process of writing this book was also influenced by a diverse formal education. Following my undergraduate degree in psychology, was an extensive reevaluation of my theology while finishing an elongated graduate philosophy of religion program (1988–2000), then doctoral studies and counseling internships in marriage/family counseling and addictions (2010–2013); next, a PhD (pastoral psychology, 2016–2019), concluding with a thesis on religious abuse recovery.

This book originates from that doctoral thesis and may therefore be primarily of interest to academics. But, it may also be appreciated more broadly by others seeking thoughtful answers to religious abuse and perhaps themselves in need of recovery. I provide an important historical context, taken care to define specialized terms, organize various opinions on religious abuse and defend my own evolving perspective. I’ve sought to present material in a clear and logical way, making it user-friendly, included a subject and scripture index and suggest improvements to the field of cultic-studies. I conclude this book with updated related resources, both to enhance further research and for ongoing religious abuse recovery for those in need.

As a result of a half-century of my involvement in this field, I conclude that to best understand abuse and healing requires increasing the bandwidth of information for clarity and enhanced integration. This larger contextual approach can sharpen concepts, reject over-simplification and treat both this topic and the people negatively affected, with deep levels of compassion and appropriate seriousness.

Many thoughtful and caring people have influenced both my thinking and emotions on this subject. My major goal in writing this book has been to not only summarize the insights that I have been graciously given over many years, but to enhance the readers understanding and appreciation of religious abuse recovery. I also hope that as you read, you will be reminded that finding both insight and deep healing is achievable and recovery is always unique to the individual. This is true of the religious content to be processed, the felt needs to be explored and determining the appropriate pace and means for healing. Finally, no matter who you are, if you’re ready to go beyond often unhelpful simplistic answers and explore this topic along with the rousing journey it will inevitably provide, then I encourage you to press on . . .

Acknowledgments

This book required the influence of many people, used by God to shape my thinking, emotions, research and writing. There were several at the Graduate Theological Foundation, chief of which was Dr. Ann-Marie Neale, my remarkable adviser, for her ever-positive meaningful encouragement and academic direction to shape my doctoral thesis and eventually this book. Significant too, was my patient and well-informed APA thesis editor, Sharon Hamm who kept me from an abundance of writing errors and my mother, Mary M. Knapp, who, by her example, gave me a life-long tenacious love of learning.

I have been inspired by many life-mentors and their academic pursuits: Drs. Robert McGregor Wright (theology), Alan Myatt (sociology of religion), Douglas Groothuis (philosophy), Gordon Lewis (apologetics), Sharon Hilderbrant (family-systems theory), Maria Boccia (attachment theory) and Michael Langone (cultic studies). Their academic rigor, and personal friendships over many years helped to shape both my Christian faith and this book.

The steady support of my beloved spouse, Heidi Knapp, was essential. She listened to my abundant external processing and by her insightful suggestions helped to make this project achievable. Without her strong and constant emotional encouragement, I would have likely settled on an ABD, all-but-dissertation result, and certainly would have never have completed this book.

Finally, most of all, I am thankful to God, for His systematic and timely placement of all these relational influences making this book possible. Without His loving guidance and empowerment, nothing of authentic worth would have been accomplished (Phil 2:13). Above all, He is worthy of praise (Ps 100:4–5)!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Abbreviations

AA Alcoholics Anonymous

AACC American Association of Christian Counselors

AFF American Family Foundation

ASCRIBED Acronym, identifying essential recovery needs of those religiously abused:

A Altruism

S Self-Differentiation

C Cognitive Acedia

R Relational requirement

I Identity

B Beliefs

E Emotional dysregulation

D Daily needs

CBE Christians for Biblical Equality

CESNUR Center for studies on New Religions

CRI Christian Research Institute

DTL Darkness to Light

DWP Democratic Workers Party

EMNR Evangelical Ministries to New Religions

EFT Emotion Focused Therapy

GCAC Great Commission Association of Churches

GCC Great Commission Churches

GCI Great Commission International

GST General Systems Theory

ICSA International Cultic Studies Association

ICC International Churches of Christ

ICOC International Churches of Christ

INFORM Informational Network Focus on Religious Movement

NEIRR New England Institute of Religious Research

NIP National Institute for the Psychotherapies

NRM New Religious Movement

PBS Public Broadcasting Service

ROP The Religion of Peace

SECURE Acronym, identifying essential principles of religious abuse recovery:

S Safe Haven

E Emotion

C Cognitive focus

U Unconditional positive regard

R Relational support system

E Education to understand family-systems theory

TACO Totalist Aberrant Christian Organization

Introduction

It has become increasingly challenging for clergy, counselors, educators, and other helping professionals to understand the complexities of the physical, emotional, and relational abuse taking place under the name of religious belief. At the same time, a shift in the postmodern perception of how one defines truth within a continually increasing level of cultural religious pluralism has resulted in an obscured definition of traditional cultural values (Groothuis, 2000). With the explosive amount of information available from the Internet and the desire for quick and easy answers, those with an interest in cultic studies are frequently prone to accept a simplistic, piecemeal, and often reductionist understanding of others’ religious beliefs and behaviors. Therefore, when they endeavor to understand harmful religious behavior and how one might recover from its effects, they can easily feel overwhelmed. In this book, I survey some of the inherent challenges associated with this effort to understand religious abuse: (a) diverse definitions; (b) varying philosophies and theologies; (c) unclear role of mind control; (d) complexity and variability of experiences; (e) sustaining objectivity in the abused; and (f) limitations of published integrative resources (i.e., Christian apologetics, sociology, psychology, theology, cultic studies, and philosophy).

First, terminology challenges are inherent in this study (Langone, M., & Chambers, W., 1991; Langone, M., 2015); to help counter the lack of clarity in terms, this book includes a glossary (see Appendix A). The term cult itself can be significantly challenging (Rosedale, Langone, Bradshaw, & Eichel, 2015). For example, cult easily engenders unhelpful stereotyped impressions of extreme religious groups, such as the death of 918 people on November 18, 1978, at The Peoples Temple, known as the Jonestown Massacre (Layton, 1999). I have previously suggested that By ‘cult’ is meant a group that holds to beliefs or practices that clearly contradict the Bible in many of its central teachings, while promoting a sinful form of dependency on others, especially on its leader (Knapp, P., 2000, p. 4). However, the term cult can too easily be used in a pejorative or dismissive way to refer to those with whom we do not agree, and it now seems more meaningful and pragmatic to use a broader and more inclusive term that is easily applicable in varying degrees to all religious environments. Therefore, I do not use cult in this book except when I quote others who use the term. I use the concept of religiously abusive environment in place of cult. And instead of cultic, I use spiritual abuse. I use religious or spiritual abuse synonymously. By religious or spiritual abuse, I mean:

actions or beliefs that damage pervert or hinder one’s understanding of and relationship with God. It is fundamental to our nature that we are created in God’s image and designed to get our meaning from Him.

The spiritual abuser encourages one to replace God by something or someone as the source of ultimate personal fulfillment. This misrepresents what it means to be made in the image of God. It strikes at the very core of who we are. (Knapp, P., n.d., para.

1

)

Such a definition immediately introduces important philosophical and theological categories. Many have suggested that, knowingly or unknowingly, consistently or inconsistently, all of us have a preconceived set of philosophical beliefs about the world in which we live (e.g., Groothuis, 2011; Sire, 1976/2009).

A second and related challenge is that these fundamental beliefs provide us with a philosophical (and theological) reference point by which we struggle to understand ourselves, others, and more generally, the world in which we live. This reference point is commonly referred to as a worldview (Groothuis, 2011; Sire, 1976/2009). In affirming this universal experience as he wrote about the important contributions of the spirituality of Viktor Frankl, author and editor Melvin Kimble (2000) stated:

[It is] axiomatic that all people have a psychotheological worldview by which they define their life purpose and nature. This psychotheological worldview is largely a product of life experience which can be identified and most readily accessed through the individual’s core beliefs and their resultant thoughts and feelings. (p.

136

)

Like Kimble (2000) and Frankl (1984), many individuals believe their psychological and theological beliefs shape their life goals and their sense of self-worth. The idea of a worldview, of philosophical core beliefs providing us with such a reference point, has been assumed by many philosophers (Sire, 1976/2009). Included in the term worldview are significant philosophic questions, one of which involve our concept of God, or as commonly referred to in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), one’s Higher Power (AA, 2001). The concept of a worldview introduces the term metaphysics, that part of philosophy concerned with the basic causes and nature of things. Additionally, a worldview includes one’s view of prime reality, or one’s ontology, a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being (Audi, 2001, pp. 563–66).

The philosophical starting point of this paper is the prime reality of God as defined in the most well-known historic Christian creeds and statements of faith: the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, or as most comprehensively identified in the Westminster Assembly of Divines’ Confession of Faith (1647/1976). In the Christian tradition, the concept of the image of God can provide a defining anthropology for understanding human needs and desires. This concept is particularly important because human needs and desires are abundantly present in the course of recovery from any significant abuse, and certainly those labeled as religious in origin. Macaulay and Barrs (1978) have suggested a helpful definition of the concept:

The expression the image of God means simply made like God. Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness (Gen

1

:

26

). To say this does not mean that man was completely like God. There were differences of course: man was a limited, physical creature, male and female, who was totally dependent on the Creator not only for the origin of his existence, but also for its continuation. Nevertheless, though unlike God in important ways, man was like God because man was a person. (pp.

13–14

)

Secular concepts of religious abuse typically do not incorporate one having a well-defined view of God and the nature of humankind as ultimately necessary for comprehensive recovery. Those from a faith-based perspective, however, believe otherwise (Johnson, D. & VanVonderen, 1991).

The third challenge to our understanding of religious abuse within this study is the significant differences in how one perceives the role of mind control, sometimes referred to as thought reform, coercive persuasion, or undue influence. This book provides a summary of the eight interdependent and interactive behavioral themes that define the characteristics of Robert Lifton’s concept of mind control or thought reform (Lifton, 1961/1989). Within the context of these various perspectives, the following may serve as a basic behavioral definition: Mind control denotes a set of techniques used manipulatively to unethically influence how a person thinks, feels and acts, with the purpose of creating a detrimental dependency upon another (Knapp, P., 2000, p. 4).

Some professionals in the field attribute nearly absolute influential power to those who exercise the techniques associated with the thought-reform theory (Hassan, 1988/2015), and others deny it altogether, suggesting that people naturally elect religious choices based on their own free volition (Barker, 1984). Still others suggest a view of mind control that rejects both extremes and instead hold a more theologically and philosophically nuanced position (Knapp, P., 2000).

A fourth challenge is that the complexity and variability of religiously abusive experience, personal family history, and individual personality make meaningful dialogue about the issue challenging. Although there are many behavioral similarities in differing religious systems, each individual’s internal and external experiences may differ widely, which often makes clear communication challenging. These variations require mindful attention to the various recovery issues common to religious abuse. These issues are often rather broad and typically include many categories. There are the practical issues, psychological and emotional difficulties, cognitive inefficiencies, social/personal relationship problems, and philosophical/attitudinal issues, to name a few (Singer & Lalich, 1995). Without a sufficient interpretive approach and empathetic appreciation, one’s understanding of and response to the issue of religious abuse can easily be inadequate or even inappropriately dismissive.

When professionals are contending with strongly held religious or spiritual beliefs in an individual who has experienced religious abuse, they can easily identify a fifth challenge: that of contending with the individual’s extreme depth and range of emotions, which can make objectivity, while not impossible, certainly arduous at best (Langone, 1993, pp. 307–14). Many writers and researchers within this field self-report as either having themselves come from, or having had a loved one involved in, religiously abusive environments. This background commonly makes their commitment to the topic of recovery deep and personal. For instance, one of the largest and most professional organizations in the world that addresses religious abuse and recovery, the International Cultic Studies Association’s (ICSA’s) online autobiographical profiles clearly suggest that many, if not most, of its members self-identify as having significant personal history with religious abuse (see http://www.icsahome.com/elibrary/peopleprofiles). Because the systemic effects of one’s recovery from religious abuse are commonly ongoing and variable, issues of emotional transference, displacement of feeling from a prior to a current object (Yalom, 1985, p. 201) can easily affect one’s ability to think clearly and can diminish appreciation for other’s perspective of their religious abuse and recovery.

Finally, a sixth challenge involves the lack of broad, integrative books, articles, or papers that reflect a theoretical understanding of the process of recovery from religiously abusive environments. One possible reason for this deficiency is that most writers and researchers in this field do not have a significant background in the realms of philosophy of religion, theology and psychosocial theory while simultaneously having a personal history of religious-abuse recovery; and the practical wisdom of many years filled with assisting others in their spiritual journeys. Again, this