Pastoral Hope for Spiritual Abuse

The name of God should never be invoked to coerce, shame, or frighten people into compliance—yet in a culture of “worthiness interviews” and high-demand religious expectations, this is an experience that is far too frequent. In this session, Gina Colvin and Katie Langston, seminarians and ministers, will explore how spiritual abuse damages a person’s relationship with the divine, how folks in high-demand religious systems can recognize and set healthy boundaries, and what appropriate pastoral care looks and feels like.