Last night, Michael Camp interviewed me for his podcast, Spiritual Brewpub. The topic was Spiritual Abuse in the Church. You know I have something to say about that!
I took a shortcut and copied Michael’s summary of the podcast (with his permission):
Julie Anne Smith on Spiritual Abuse in the Church
Sued by her pastor! Tactics of spiritual abusers. How women are most vulnerable. Julie Anne Smith shares with Michael how she got slapped with a $500,000 lawsuit, uncovered abuse in her church and among evangelicals, and how patriarchal theology harms women. Hear this lively conversation as they discuss the prevalence and roots of spiritual abuse, including:
- Tactics and teachings that cause religious abuse
- How women are especially harmed
- Examples of church abuse in Sovereign Grace Ministries, Pastor Mark Driscoll, Bill Gothard, Promise Keepers, the Quiverfull movement, and conservative evangelical churches
- Narcissists and control freaks in the church
- How it fuels faith shifts and non-belief
- Exposing legalistic teachings and helping victims
- Finding solace and healing from spiritual abuse
- How historical study helps you rethink traditional views of the Bible
- Julie Anne’s safe haven for exposing abuse and healing:The Spiritual Sounding Board
Learn about host Michael Camp’s journey at: www.michaelcampbooks.com
Here’s the podcast. Enjoy! Or you can download here.
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Good interview! Thanks for your continued passion in exposing spiritual abuse.
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Thanks for listening, Kathi 😊
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I live in a culture where the lawyer-to-people ratio is almost as high as in DC and lawsuits are considered as much a “get rich quick” scheme as the lottery.
Here there is only ONE amount to sue for:
Everything They’ve Got. EVERYTHING.
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JA, I may forgive you later for mentioning SGMSurvivors.com – I had read one of the leaders’ stories long ago on his own blog – I think it was the pastor forced out of the church he founded, but that just the tip of the iceberg looking at what Noel and her family suffered. How heartless and cruel do you have to be to excommunicate a family for wanting justice for their 3yo daughter who was raped, and then accept the 14yo vile perpetrator as a volunteer in the nursery with 2 year olds?
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