Churches That Abuse


Churches That Abuse, first published in 1992, is a best-selling Christian apologetic book written by Ronald M. Enroth. The book documents cases of churches and other organizations said to be spiritually abusive and the effects these groups have had on their members. The author says that "spiritual abuse can take place in the context of doctrinally sound, Bible-preaching, fundamentalist, conservative Christianity".
Enroth outlines the backgrounds of the leaders of these groups and explains how the groups evolved to the point of becoming spiritually abusive. The book has been praised by Margaret Thaler Singer; Michael D. Langone, director of the American Family Foundation; and Paul R. Martin. Ruth Tucker, former professor at Calvin Theological Seminary, objected to the research methods used by Enroth.