Dr Diane Langberg is a practicing psychologist whose clinical expertise includes 35 years of working with trauma survivors and clergy She speaks internationally on topics related to women trauma ministry and the Christian life. In When the Church Harms God s People Langberg unveils what she has learned about how churches cause harm and why Christian communities often foster unhealthy leaders who end up hurting rather than protecting God s people She also offers hope for the future describing how churches can reflect Christ not just in what they teach but also in how they care for themselves and others. This book is an invaluable tool for leaders and laypeople alike who want to help the church resist abuses of power and become a safe place for survivors When the Church Harms God s People Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse Pursue Truth and Care for the WoundedI absolutely agree with the overall message of this book and am grateful for Diane Langberg s prophetic voice expertise and important work in the world That said I found the book to be a bit repetitive and thought it could have been edited down substantially. The main point that she expounds upon throughout is summed up in this quote Protecting all vulnerable people should be part of a church s DNA When abuse is alleged or exposed the church is called to tend the lambs not the institution or system Covering up sin or a crime is failing to make God s priority our own We honor him by caring for the wounded dragging abuse into the light often at great cost and calling it by its right name This is an important message but as someone who is already on board with this point I found myself wanting from the book it seemed like she made the same point from different angles but didn t delve too deeply into what should be done in a practical sense or what larger systems are at play in creating these cultures of abuse. I disagree with the theological premises for some of her arguments substitutionary penal atonement an overemphasis on sin nature etc though that theology is to be expected from an evangelical author I assume she s evangelical I do appreciate her call for Christians to be like Christ exposing abuse and caring for the most vulnerable among us Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy of this book 176 It s difficult to imagine being Diane Langberg one of the earliest and most respected trauma scholars to focus her energies on the evangelical world Having been in the field for than 50 years Dr Langberg has become a trusted voice in the areas of post traumatic stress disorder related to traumas such as sexual abuse human trafficking domestic abuse and rape and the oft acknowledged tendency of many of our smaller and larger institutions to cover these things up With When the Church Harms God s People Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse Pursue Truth and Care for the Wounded Dr Langberg begins the journey toward imagining a different way for faith communities particularly Christian faith communities to stop causing harm and start being the sanctuary they have always been intended to be Dr Langberg has long been a compassionate and knowledgeable voice in faith communities and institutions where far too often churches have caused harm and unhealthy leaders have hurt rather than protect and support those they lead Dr Langberg is far from alone in providing a strong presence for hope within evangelical communities though she is a rare voice to weave together a tapestry of both expertise and hopeful presence With When the Church Harms God s People Dr Langberg provides of a fundamental glimpse inside these concerns and how churches can change their paths and begin toward a journey better reflecting Christ Dr Langberg is far less prescriptive here than I d hoped hopeful generalities offering encouragement toward a different way but very little in the way of actual guidance toward how to get there Perhaps part of the problem is that this is a field I have been around much of my adult life though not as a psychologist and not specifically to the evangelical community NOTE While Dr Langberg talks very little about her own faith journey her undergraduate degree is from my home state s Taylor University one of the nation s oldest evangelical universities Given this fact and her chosen language I am assuming a evangelical literary lens here Much of When the Church Harms God s People feels very basic to me the sort of discourse that feels as if it s culled from a keynote discourse rather than as a deep dive into the extensively documented world of abusive religion and the leaders who perpetuate it From Jerry Sandusky to the Southern Baptist Convention Dr Langberg provides an extended glimpse into the problem and points toward a solution much like that friendly fellow you meet in rural America who offers up directions by saying It s over yonder past the Stop and Go Take a right you ll see it on your left This isn t a bad approach despite my cheeky sarcasm It s a necessary approach for those gingerly beginning the process of addressing difficult issues that tap into greatest vulnerabilities of what it means to be human However in my case I suppose I was hoping for much and was hoping for deeper clinical insights greater organizational observations and a prescribed genuine path toward a different way specifically targeted toward organizations that continue to resist As a resident in the city where the latest national SBC convention was held I can assure you that the resistance to this message is still strong I guarantee you there will be SBC leaders all men who resist Dr Langberg s entire message because she doesn t have a penis So while When the Church Harms God s People isn t quite the book I d hoped it would be and didn t really add much into my own personal and pastoral toolbox it s an encouraging and valuable 101 journey into the needed topic of how churches cause perpetuate and then refuse to address religious trauma and those who ve experienced it For those who ve grown weary of church leaders using Jesus s name to hide behind their dysfunctions and abusive behaviors When the Church Harms God s People is a place to begin the discussions and look toward a different way 176

When the Church Harms God's People: Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse, Pursue Truth, and Care for the Wounded By Diane Langberg

1587436450

9781587436451

English

176

Paperback

.

, Internationally recognized psychologist Diane Langberg has come face to face with the crushing trauma of sexual abuse trafficking domestic abuse and rape and its cover up: Even tragic she has encountered it all within Christian communities and the church, As a highly respected trauma scholar and psychologist working in the United States and around the world for than 50 years she envisions a better way