Editing Religious abuse (section)

==Spiritual==
Spiritual abuse includes:
* [[Psychological abuse]] and [[emotional abuse]]
* [[Physical abuse]] including physical injury (e.g., [[tatbir]]) and deprivation of sustenance.
* [[Sexual abuse]]
* Any act by deeds or words that shame or diminish the [[dignity]] of a person.
* [[Intimidation]] and the requirement to submit to a spiritual authority without any right to dissent.
* Unreasonable control of a person's basic right to exercise [[freewill]] in spiritual or natural matters.
* [[False accusation]]s and repeated criticism by labeling a person as, for example, disobedient, rebellious, lacking faith, [[demonization|demonized]], [[apostate]], an enemy of the church or of a deity.
* [[Isolation to facilitate abuse|Isolationism]], separation, [[disenfranchisement]] or estrangement from family and friends outside the group due to cult-religious or spiritual or indigenous beliefs.
* [[Western esotericism|Esotericism]], hidden agendas and requirements revealed to members only as they successfully advance through various stages of a faith.{{Sfn|Lambert|1996|p=5}}
* Enforced practice of [[Spiritualism (beliefs)|spiritualism]], [[mysticism]], or other ideologies peculiar to members of that religion.{{Sfn|Lambert|1996|p=5}}
* Financial exploitation or [[enslavement]] of adherents.{{Sfn|Lambert|1996|p=5}}

===Background===
The term ''spiritual abuse'' was purportedly coined in the late twentieth century to refer to alleged abuse of authority by church leaders,<ref>{{Cite web |last=VanVonderen |first=Jeff |title=Recovery from Spiritual Abuse |url=http://www.spiritualabuse.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108062011/http://www.spiritualabuse.com/ |archive-date=2011-01-08 |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Recovery from Spiritual Abuse |quote="Spiritual abuse occurs when someone in a position of spiritual authority, the purpose of which is to 'come underneath' and serve, build, equip and make a deity's or a god's people MORE free, misuses that authority placing themselves over a god's people to control, coerce or manipulate them for seemingly godly purposes which are really their own."}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2023}} albeit some scholars and historians would dispute that claim, citing prior literary appearances of the term in literature on religion and psychology. Lambert defines spiritual abuse as "a type of psychological predomination that could be rightly termed—''religious enslavement''".{{Sfn|Lambert|1996|p=253}} He further identifies "religious enslavement" as being a product of what is termed in the [[Bible]] "[[witchcraft]]" or "[[Magic (paranormal)|sorcery]]".<ref>2 Chronicles 33:6; Galatians 5:20; Revelation 18:23; et al.</ref> A key element of the experience of spiritual abuse is the perceived 'divine position' of the abuser which leads to an environment of [[Infallibility of the Church|infallibility]].<ref name="Oakley & Kinmond">{{cite journal |last1=Ruth Oakley |first1=Lisa |last2=Susan Kinmond |first2=Kathryn |title=Developing safeguarding policy and practice for Spiritual Abuse |journal=The Journal of Adult Protection |date=1 January 2014 |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=87–95 |doi=10.1108/JAP-07-2013-0033 }}</ref>

===Characteristics===
[[Ronald Enroth]] in ''[[Churches That Abuse]]'' identifies five categories:{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

# '''Authority and power''': abuse arises when leaders of a group arrogate to themselves power and authority that lacks the dynamics of open accountability and the capacity to question or challenge decisions made by leaders. The shift entails moving from general respect for an office bearer to one where members loyally submit without any right to dissent. 
# '''[[Psychological manipulation|Manipulation]] and control''': abusive groups are characterized by social dynamics where fear, guilt or threats are routinely used to produce unquestioning obedience, group [[conformity]] or stringent tests of loyalty. The leader-disciple relationship may become one in which the leader's decisions control and usurp the disciple's right or capacity to make choices.[https://nakedpastor.com/blogs/news/what-is-spiritual-abuse-and-how-to-recognize-when-it-is-happening-to-you]
# '''[[Elitism]] and persecution''': abusive groups depict themselves as unique and have a strong organizational tendency to be separate from other bodies and institutions. The social dynamism of the group involves being independent or separate, with diminishing possibilities for internal correction, reflection, or external criticism.
# '''Life-style and experience''': abusive groups foster rigidity in behavior and belief that requires conformity to the group's ideals.
# '''Dissent and discipline''': abusive groups tend to suppress any kind of internal challenge to decisions made by leaders.

Agnes and John Lawless argue in ''The Drift into Deception'' that there are eight characteristics of spiritual abuse, and some of these clearly overlap with Enroth's criteria. They list the eight marks of spiritual abuse as comprising:{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
#[[Charisma]] and [[pride]]
#[[Anger]] and [[intimidation]]
#[[Seven deadly sins#Greed|Greed]] and [[fraud]]
#[[Immorality]]
#Enslaving [[authoritarian]] structure
#Exclusivity
#Demanding [[loyalty]] and honor
#New revelation

The author of ''Charismatic Captivation'', Steven Lambert, in a post on the book's website delineates "33 Signs of Spiritual Abuse",<ref>{{cite web |date=15 November 2008 |title=The Signs of Spiritual Abuse |url=http://www.charismatic-captivation.com/?p=5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729174834/http://www.charismatic-captivation.com/?p=5 |archive-date=2010-07-29 |access-date=25 January 2017 |website=Charismatic Captivation}}</ref> including:

#Apotheosis or de facto deification of the leadership.
#Absolute authority of the leadership.
#Pervasive abuse and misuse of authority in personal dealings with members to coerce submission.
#Paranoia, inordinate egotism or narcissism, and insecurity by the leaders.
#Abuse and inordinate incidence of "church discipline" particularly in matters not expressly considered to be church discipline issues.
#Inordinate attention to maintaining the public image of the ministry and lambasting of all "critics".
#Constant indoctrination with a "group" or "family" mentality that impels members to exalt the corporate "life" and goals of the church-group over their personal goals, callings, objectives or relationships.
#Members are psychologically traumatized, terrorized and indoctrinated with numerous fears aimed at creating an over-dependence or codependence on their leaders and the corporate group.
#Members may be required to obtain the approval (or ''witness'') of their leader(s) for decisions regarding personal matters.
#Frequent preaching from the pulpit discouraging leaving the religion or disobeying the leaderships' dictates.
#Members departing without the blessing of the leadership do so under a cloud of suspicion, shame, or slander.
#Departing members often suffer from psychological problems and display the symptoms associated with [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD).

===Research and examples===
Flavil Yeakley's team of researchers conducted field-tests with members of the [[Boston Church of Christ]] using the [[Myers-Briggs Type Indicator]]. In ''The Discipling Dilemma'' Yeakley reports that the members tested "showed a high level of change in psychological type scores", with a "clear pattern of convergence in a single type".{{Sfn|Yeakley|1988|p=39}} The same tests were conducted on five mainline [[Christian denomination|denomination]]s and with six groups that are popularly labeled as [[cult]]s or manipulative [[sect]]s. Yeakley's test results showed that the pattern in the Boston Church "was not found among other churches of Christ or among members of five mainline denominations, but that it was found in studies of six manipulative sects."{{Sfn|Yeakley|1988|p=39}} The research did ''not'' show that the Boston Church was "attracting people with a psychological need for high levels of control", but Yeakley concluded that "they are producing conformity in psychological type" which he deemed to be "unnatural, unhealthy and dangerous."{{Sfn|Yeakley|1988|pp=44, 46–47}}

This was not a [[longitudinal study]] and relied on asking participants to answer the survey three times; once as they imagined they might answer five years prior, once as their present selves and once as they imagined they might answer after five years of influence in the sect. The author insists that despite this, "any significant changes in the pattern of these perceptions would indicate some kind of group pressure. A high degree of change and a convergence in a single type would be convincing proof that the Boston Church of Christ has some kind of group dynamic operating that tends to produce conformity to the group norm." However it could instead indicate a desire on the part of the respondents to change in the direction indicated. To determine actual changes in MBTI results would require a longitudinal study, since the methodology here was inherently suggestive of its conclusion. This is also amply borne out in its instructions: "The instructions stated clearly that no one was telling them that their answers ought to change. The instructions said that the purpose of the study was simply to find out if there were any changes and, if so, what those changes might indicate."{{Sfn|Yeakley|1988|pp=30–31}}<ref>{{cite web |date=18 June 2023 |title=10 reasons why the church is the perfect culture for abuse |url=https://nakedpastor.com/blogs/news/10-reasons-why-the-church-is-the-perfect-culture-for-abuse |access-date=5 August 2024 |website=NakedPastor}}</ref>