Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B0036QUOWY | Format: PDF
Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse Description
Biblically grounded and psychologically informed, Mending the Soul is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive approach to understanding and treating every form of abuse for pastoral and ministry staff; small group leaders and youth workers; educators and seminary students; pastoral and clinical counselors.
It's time for the church to recognize the epidemic scale of abuse. Abuse kills. In its different forms - physical, sexual, verbal, spiritual, or neglectful - abuse deadens the emotions, slays self-worth, cripples the mind, even destroys the body.
Its victims are legion. They live in your neighborhood, play with your children, and attend your church. In the United States: one in three women will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner; around 1.5 million children are abused or neglected annually; and at least 25 percent of girls experience contact sexual abuse. But there is hope. God delights in mending shattered souls.
However, healing doesn't come by ignoring the problem of abuse, minimizing its complexities, or downplaying its devastating impact. Healing comes by fully understanding the nature and ramifications of abuse, and by following a biblical path of restoration that allows God's grace to touch the heart's deep wounds.
Mending the Soul sounds the call and leads the charge. Thorough and accessible, here at last is a unique and powerful resource for understanding and healing victims of abuse.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 59 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Audible.com Release Date: January 21, 2010
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0036QUOWY
I could write a novel about this book, but I'll try to keep it brief. The reader of this review should know up front that I'm biased; I know the author and his wife well, and have served with them in their ministry. I greatly respect them both, and so my opinion of this book is in no small part shaped by my affection and respect for its author.
Dr. Tracy spends a great deal of the book showing hard research on the devastating effects of abuse. So many churchy people want to act like abuse can't happen in the church; Dr. Tracy was in the same boat until he found out that a fellow pastor in his church was beating his wife.
Also, each chapter is prefaced with a real-life personal story that illustrates the point that the chapter is making. Chapter topics include ideas like (ungodly) shame, denial, emotional deadness, and many of the other common results of abuse.
Practical issues like forgiveness and reconciliation are covered, but with much more care than most theologians exercise. For instance, when Luke 17:3 says, "If your brother sins against you rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him," doesn't that imply conditional forgiveness? Dr. Tracy parses this as "relational forgiveness," akin to reconciliation. That is, biblically, we aren't required to enter again into a close relationship with someone who hasn't turned from their abusive ways. How many times have you ever heard this? Rarely have I, but it's right there in the Bible. A different sort of forgiveness, according to Dr. Tracy, is unconditional, and that is simply giving up one's desire for vengance against the abuser.
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