This book is written for the wounded of this generation. Those whose hearts have felt the toxic sting of ministry gone awry. Toxicity never has to be the final chapter in your story. Healing is 100% possible no matter how deep and fresh the wounds. Woven around practical ideas and personal experience the author develops a platform for not only surviving toxic situations, but allowing them to propel us forward into greater places of Kingdom service. This is a must read for anyone dealing with a toxic ministry situation that is affecting their faith.
A Christian depth psychologist charts a path to emotional and spiritual wholeness for those whose religious understanding has hurt rather than helped them. Dr. DeBlassie has counseled many people whose religion has held them in spiritual bondage rather than intimately connected to the vital center. Theoretical material is balanced with crisp clinical illustrations and colorful anecdotes.
This book is a continuation of the material written in the author's previous book, The Gift of Healing for Today's Believer. It touches upon new controversial topics and subjects in which Christian denominations have been in disagreement for decades. It's main focus is to clear certain subjects in which the churches have not dealt with fully, or have dealt with, but with an incorrect point of view. The book promises to be an eye opener to many, and a point of contention for the rest.
As never before in American history, Christians are witnessing biblical values being replaced by laws that impose a godless, immoral, oppressive social agenda on their country. The overall disdain political and religious liberal activists have toward conservative values in general and authentic Christianity in particular has produced an ideological civil war that is raging out of control. But many people sense there’s something more sinister going on, something beyond the realm of ideological divides, something evil, perhaps even eschatological—and that’s the position of this book. Here you will learn the interplay between two corresponding evils that have been secretly gaining strength in America for many years: human depravity and Satanic deception. One is an enemy in us; the other is an enemy of us. These corrupting influences have destroyed every empire in history; powers so formidable and so deceptive that they now threaten the Constitutional Republic of the United States. This book addresses the interplay between these destructive forces from a biblical perspective and then demonstrates how they manifest themselves in our culture, while at the same time encouraging authentic Christians to stand firm in their faith for the glory of Christ as we await His return.
A Study Guide that Helps You Respond Wisely to the Deconstruction Trend Alisa and Tim will help you respond, both with arguments and with love and sensitivity. This is a timely book! -- Carl Trueman, author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self A movement called ‘deconstruction’ is sweeping through our churches and it is affecting our loved ones. It has disrupted, dismantled, and destroyed the faith of so many, and this study guide can help you not only understand what’s happening but also stand your ground and respond with clarity and confidence. Maybe you have a loved one who is deconstructing their faith, and you are struggling to know how to respond; Maybe you are trying to understand the radical spiritual makeover your friend or family member is going through; Maybe your relationship with a loved one has been strained or even cut off because of your “toxic” Christian beliefs and you don’t know what to do Maybe you’re experiencing doubt yourself and facing hard questions about God, truth, theology, and the gospel This study guide is designed to be used alongside the book The Deconstruction of Christianity, written by Alisa Childers, bestselling author of Another Gospel?, and Tim Barnett, host of Red Pen Logic. This guide will help you understand what deconstruction is, the roots of the movement, why it is compelling to some, and how it disrupts the lives of so many. In this study, you will be able to think through all of the issues around this trend and explore wise and loving ways to respond from a biblical worldview. Includes six sessions: Session 1: What Is Deconstructionism? Session 2: How Did We Get Here? Session 3: Why Deconstruction? Session 4: What Is Deconstructed? Session 5: Who Are the Deconstructors? Session 6: Where Do We Go from Here
"Required reading for anyone seeking to understand Christian nationalism." —Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne A propulsive account of the network of charismatic Christians that consolidated support for Donald Trump and is reshaping religion and politics in the US. Over the last decade, the Religious Right has evolved. Some of the more extreme beliefs of American evangelicalism have begun to take hold in the mainstream. Scholar Matthew D. Taylor pulls back the curtain on a little-known movement of evangelical Christians who see themselves waging spiritual battles on a massive scale. Known as the New Apostolic Reformation, this network of leaders and believers emerged only three decades ago but now yields colossal influence, galvanizing support for Trump and far-right leaders around the world. In this groundbreaking account, Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, to its role in the January 6 riot. Charismatic faith provided righteous fuel to the fire that day, where symbols of spiritual warfare blazed: rioters blew shofars, worship music blared, and people knelt in prayer. This vision of charismatic Christianity now animates millions, lured by Spirit-filled revival and visions of Christian supremacy. Taylor's unprecedented access to the movement's leaders, archives, internal conference calls, and correspondence gives us an insider account of the connection between charismatic evangelicalism and hard-right rhetoric. Taylor delves into prophetic memes like the Seven Mountains Mandate, the Appeal to Heaven flag, and the Cyrus Anointing; Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White's call for "angelic reinforcements"; and Sean Feucht and Bethel Music's titanic command of worship styles across America. Throughout, Taylor maps a movement of magnetic leaders and their uncompromising beliefs--and where it might be headed next. When people long to conquer a nation for God, democracy can be brought to the brink.
How to heal religious trauma by releasing harmful beliefs Have you experienced #ChurchHurt? Are you frustrated by judgmental church people supporting oppressive systems? Do you have doubts about the faith tradition you were raised in but are afraid of losing your community? Angela J. Herrington has been there. And with over a decade of experience as a life coach, she can teach you how to begin healing religious trauma through deconstruction. Lively and empathetic, Angela will gently guide you through deconstructing your faith. This concise and actionable handbook will • give you permission to trust yourself, • show you how to seek new perspectives and information, • teach you how to embrace vulnerable exploration and self-compassion, and • help you release unhealthy beliefs that are harming you and marginalized persons. Deconstructing your long-held beliefs can be isolating and overwhelming. But you don’t have to do it alone. Begin your healing journey with Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.
God has empowered marginalized Christians to transform the church. The power of the gospel is often most visible among those who have been the least respected, including racial or ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, and people who have been displaced from their homeland. Yet in many faith communities, these are the same people whose leadership gifts are least likely to be recognized. But the power of the gospel comes from God, not from other humans. This book is a passionate affirmation of the power already present among marginalized Christians and a call to recognize and embrace this power for the sake of helping the church become more like Christ. Marginalized Christians are already changing the face of the church. Will we embrace their power to change the church’s heart?
A religious liberty lawyer and acclaimed author reveals the root of America's polarization inside the Muslim and evangelical Christian divide—and how it can be healed. Despite the dire consequences of America's cultural, political, and religious divisiveness, from increasing incivility to discrimination and outright violence, few have been able to get to the core cause of this conflict. Even fewer have offered measures for reconcilliation. Now, in The Politics of Vulnerability, Asma Uddin, American-Muslim public intellectual, religious-liberties attorney, and activist, provides a unique perspective on the complex political and social factors contributing to the Muslim-Christian divide. Unlike other analysts, Uddin asks what underlying drivers cause otherwise good people to do—or believe—bad things? Why do people who value faith support of measures that limit others, especially of Muslims’, religious freedom and other rights?’ Uddin humanizes a contentious relationship by fully embracing both sides as individuals driven by very human fears and anxieties. Many conservative Christians fear that the Left is dismantling traditional “Christian America” to replace it with an Islamized America, a conspiratorial theory that has given rise to an “evangelical persecution complex,” a politicized vulnerability. Uddin reveals that Islamophobia and other aspects of the conservative Christian movement are interconnected. Where does hate come from and how can it be conquered? Only by addressing the underlying factors of this politics of vulnerability can we begin to heal the divide.