Please note that when I write of God, I am referring to the Triune God, encompassing God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

When Scripture is used to punish, belittle, or shame a person, my heart breaks. It’s no wonder we are in the midst of a spiritual and religious crisis. Parents, ministers, and other spiritual leaders exclude Jesus’ message of love, acceptance, and healing. Sometimes I not only think I was raised in a completely different Christianity, but I know. Unfortunately in some cases, this results in Spiritual Trauma.

Spiritual Trauma is when a your faith, relationship with God, or spiritual identity is wounded. This can happen through religious abuse, church hurt, harmful theology, clergy misconduct, or manipulative spiritual authority. It can shatter your trust in God, community, and your own spiritual perception.

This type of trauma is present in the United States and the world, and it happens right in our own neighborhoods. You might experience it as:

• A person claims their authority comes right from God and cannot be questioned – this is usually done by selectively using Scripture to justify their power or your silence.
• A church or a pastor demands absolute obedience – this often shows up as fear of hell, God’s judgment, or curses.
• If you disagree, you will be excluded from the church, thrown out, or threatened – if you question the leadership, you question God.
• Leaders or the church wish to control all of your major life decisions – marriage, work, and home. Sometimes Scripture is used to keep people in abusive relationships.
• They may publicly humiliate people, teach that suffering is a result of sin, try to tell you that your trauma response (anger, grief, doubt) is a spiritual failure, and withhold communion, prayer, or pastoral care.

The destructiveness of Spiritual Abuse hits hard, as the relationship with God is intimate and personal. It can be very confusing as we move from a child’s perspective, who learns the words to “Jesus loves me,” only to be told that’s not really true, or certainly not the way you are. Well, I disagree. Scripture, Old and New, tells us that God has made us with love and care, in most importantly in God’s own image.

This week, during my devotional time, I read the passage in Ezekiel 37:1-14, often referred to as The Valley of Dry Bones. While the passage refers to God bringing the people back to their homeland, I couldn’t help but uncover God’s active restoration: God uses a man and his voice to command life—to infuse complete restoration—to a pile of bones. I would be lying if I said there weren’t times in my life that I felt like those bones – disconnected, broken, out of place, and far from where I was meant to be. It was my connection to God that got me through those times and put me where I was meant to be. When the people were broken, God brought life back. When the people were broken, Jesus restored them. When the people were broken, the Holy Spirit filled them.

As a Christian Counselor, Pastor, Chaplain, and human being, I am well-aware of the ways the Bible can be used to cause harm and sufering. My approach to this type of trauma is to prioritize whole person healing through the biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective. This includes addressing biological, psychological, social relations, and spiritual realms. I believe that God has put within us the tools we need to heal, we just need to learn how to access and trust in them. God restores and offers us comfort, guidance, and strength on our path to healing.

Wondering if you experienced a spiritual trauma or adverse religious experience? Clik here to fill out a questionnaire.