A Cry For Justice - how the evil of domestic abuse hides in your church
Abuse in the Church of Jesus Christ! In many Christian circles this may be a taboo subject--spoken of in hushed tones or behind closed doors. But it is a very real problem that must be brought into the light of Scripture. Abuse in the church takes different forms; but it is alive and active even in "nice" families in our churches. Typically, the abuser is male, usually a husband--and his character is that of a manipulating deceiver. Countless women and children--even many faithful pastors--have been abused by these deceivers. Have you, or someone you know, been a victim? Has an abuser:
* Threatened physical violence if he does not get his way?
* Intimidated with abusive language?
* Denied affection?
* Denied you medical attention?
* Manipulated friends and acquaintances in order to gain allies?
Pastor Jeff Crippen uses his over thirty years of pastoral experience to rip the lid off this most insidious behavior that is often "hidden in plain sight." He not only maintains that Bible-believing churches have ignored or failed to face the problem, he insists that when they do counsel a victim of abuse, they get it all wrong. What happens is that the victim gets pulled into deeper--even life threatening--danger. This book will come as a life saver in a raging sea for those under the thumb of an abusive spouse or "friend." The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to be free in Him: Spiritually, emotionally and, yes, physically (i.e.; away from your oppressor). Pastors will benefit from reading this book, sometimes because they also have been victims, but more importantly, so that they can properly counsel those caught in a cycle of abuse.See also the author's book Unholy Charade: Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church, which presents similar material but updated with Jeff Crippen's three more years of understanding of domestic abuse, and packed full of first-person accounts from those who have had to live through it. Follow Jeff Crippen at cryingoutforjustice.com
Publisher: Calvary Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781879737914
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Jeff Crippen spent years as a police officer before being ordained to the gospel ministry. He has seen domestic abuse first hand. Since 2009, he has diligently studied the subject of domestic abuse―and how many times the local church has either ignored the problem, or denied its existence. He has been the pastor of Christ Reformation Church since 1993, and holds two advanced theological degrees from Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
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I just finished Jeff Crippen's book. As one who has walked alongside a domestic abuse victim for many years I can highly recommend this book. Especially if you are dealing with a malignant narcissistic abuser you need to read this book. If you are a pastor, counselor, in leadership in your denomination, you need to read this book. If you are a lawyer that specializes in defending DV victims in divorce cases, if you are a police officer, if you are a judge that presides over court cases involving divorce and especially domestic abuse, you need to read this book. If you are a guardian ad litem, a court appointed counselor, or a unification therapist, you need to read this book. I would suspect that the only people who would naysay this book are those who see their actions exposed as abuse by Jeff's detailed descriptions and are worried that their nature as an abuser will be revealed. For their controlling abuse to continue they MUST silence all efforts to expose them and will use as many pious sounding (read: religious) arguments they can find to keep the spotlight off of themselves. Pastor Crippin handles Scripture carefully, thoughtfully, and with great integrity. He uses footnotes regularly to support his claims. unlike another book on the same topic that I read recently, pastor Crippen doesn't repeat himself endlessly in an attempt to make the book longer. He thoroughly teaches without repeatedly duplicating his thoughts. The book is long however it is not hard to read because he is a good writer. He really packs a lot into this book...Gramma0613