Citation

Koch D, Edstrom L. J. Sci. Study Relig. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jssr.12792

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Both religiosity and spirituality have been shown to have positive effects on multiple aspects of well-being, mental health, and healing. Religiosity and spirituality are also positive mediating factors in healing from abuse broadly. Religious or spiritual abuse has the capacity for harming one's religiosity and/or spirituality. When abuse occurs in a religious setting, it has the effect of making it less likely that religion and/or spirituality can be used as a coping strategy to heal from that very abuse. Little is known about the underlying factors that constitute the larger concept of spiritual abuse. A total of 66 survey prompts were pulled from the existing quantitative and qualitative literature on spiritual abuse, focusing on both external events and internal states that often result from spiritual abuse. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on survey responses (N = 3222), resulting in six factors: (1) maintaining the system, (2) internal distress, (3) embracing violence, (4) controlling leadership, (5) harmful God-image, and (6) gender discrimination. The resulting 27-item scale, which includes 11 additional "critical items," can be used in clinical settings to get quick, detailed information about a client's exposure to spiritual abuse and possible resulting consequences.

Language: en

Keywords

harm; religious abuse; scale development; spiritual abuse; trauma