Explainer: What is spiritual abuse?
By 
Dr Selina Stone2023-06-27T15:42:00
In light of recent allegations of spiritual abuse at Soul Survivor Watford and the church formerly known as Anaheim Vineyard, Dr Selina Stone explains what spiritual abuse is and how to identify it in our communities
Spiritual abuse can be understood as a separate category of abuse, or simply as a form of abuse (eg. emotional or psychological) that takes place within a religious setting. In many cases, it can appear in subtle ways or go unrecognised.
In her book Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse (SPCK Publishing), Dr Lisa Oakley, a psychologist who has committed her career to research in this area, highlights several examples of what spiritual abuse might look like:
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