The title of this post is a new term for me. Jack Watts, author of a new book Recovering from Religious Abuse: 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom, defines religious abuse as:

“the mistreatment of a person by someone in a position of spiritual authority, resulting in the diminishing of that person’s sense of well-being and growth – both spiritually and emotionally.”

or

“misuse of Scripture that harms a person’s relationship with God.”

There’s a whole article on the topic over at The Christian Post including the anecdote about kids being lectured by a priest about the correct way to take communion. “You don’t want to drop Jesus on the floor, do you?”

Interesting that Watts’s book is available at Barnes & Noble, but not at Lifeway Christian book stores.