Category Archives: Abuse Dynamics

Impression Management and a Review of Wade Mullen’s “Something’s Not Right”

In Wade Mullen’s Book, Something is Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse and Freeing Yourself From Its Power, he talks about how impression management is a tool of abusers who use their power for their own gain. Abuse almost always comes in a system that prevents it from being dealt with, especially where the abuser is in what Mullen describes as a “keystone” role, where a key personality holds the community together.

The Problem of Divided Loyalties

In a fascinating episode of Hidden Brain, “When Doing Right Feels Wrong,” Shankar Vendantam tells the story of Darwin, a Detroit police officer who found himself in a dilemma, conflicted between competing values that seemed to be at odds with each other. One evening after work, Darwin found himself sitting at a bar with a… Read More »

Abuse Reports (SBC and PCA) and Abuse Resources

In recent weeks, there have been calls for abuse reform in the Southern Baptist Convention and Presbyterian Church in America. We’d like to highlight some of the recent reports in the news and call the church to repentance and concern for the hurting. For those who want to grow in learning to handle abuse:

The Aromas of True and False Repentance

I like to think of repentance like rain on a parched land. Sometimes rain will downpour, other times it comes as gentle rain, steadily and slowly. We know it has rained by the signs of life. In the soil of true repentance, life will spring out from the ground. Genuine repentance shows itself with fruit… Read More »

The Gabby Petito Murder Case and Domestic Abuse

A few months ago, I wrote a book review on “Is it Abuse?: A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims” by Darby Strickland. Strickland’s book gives us foundational insights in understanding an abusive relational system. I was encouraged by many of you who want to grow in service to the oppressed, as… Read More »

A Review of “Is it Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims” by Darby Strickland

I have been benefiting recently from Darby Strickland’s book, Is it Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims. In the book she challenges Christians and the church to be a refuge for the abused, a place where they can find help and get wise counsel. She cites Psalm 82:3-4, “Give justice… Read More »

Are You a Safe Person?

As Christ followers, we should be striving to cultivate safe places in our relationships for the glory of God. If you have been hurt by a brother or sister in Christ before, you recognize that is not the way relationships were meant to work! Christian community “should” be a place of safety. Do people feel safe with you? Do they risk being real with you? Do people confide… Read More »