By Dr. Yusuf Malik Frederick, PhD
For the Black Crescent Wellness Foundation
Religious spaces are meant to be sanctuaries, where people can encounter healing, transcendence, and ethical transformation. However, when institutions meant to foster spiritual growth become instruments of domination, manipulation, and harm, we encounter the tragic phenomenon of institutional spiritual abuse. This abuse is not the product of a single individual’s misconduct, but a systemic issue: an abuse of power embedded in the very structures of religious leadership, doctrine, and community dynamics (Ellis et al., 2023; Fernández, 2022; Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991).
The Anatomy of Institutional Spiritual Abuse
Institutional abuse within religious settings manifests through the exploitation of power by leaders and organizations, often veiled under the banner of divine authority. It differs from individual spiritual abuse in its systemic scope: it is enabled and protected by hierarchical, opaque, and rigid institutional frameworks that resist accountability. These institutions enforce conformity, suppress dissent, and prioritize institutional reputation over the well-being of individuals (Oakley et al., 2024).
When misused, religious authority becomes a powerful tool for coercion. Anderson (2023) and Zaeske et al. (2024) note how religious obedience is often reframed as a spiritual virtue, discouraging congregants from questioning leadership or doctrine. In such contexts, submission becomes synonymous with piety, and spiritual disobedience is equated with rebellion against God. Victims internalize suffering as a religious necessity rather than recognizing it as systemic abuse (Ellis et al., 2023).
Financial Exploitation as Spiritual Violence
One of the most pervasive forms of institutional abuse is financial manipulation. In many religious traditions, giving is a sacred act. However, this principle is often twisted into a tool of exploitation. Johnson and VanVonderen (1991) describe how prosperity theology equates financial sacrifice with divine favor, pressuring members into harmful economic decisions. Congregants are led to believe that their poverty reflects insufficient faith or commitment.
Fernández (2022) reveals how institutional responses to financial abuse are often dismissive or punitive. Victims who question unjust practices are shamed, excommunicated, or labeled as spiritually immature. These dynamics create a closed loop of harm, where the victim is both exploited and silenced by the very structures meant to offer guidance.
Psychological Manipulation and Coercive Control
Another central feature of institutional abuse is emotional and psychological coercion. Religious institutions may use public shaming, doctrinal fear tactics, and conditional belonging to maintain control over members. McGraw et al. (2019) and Ellis et al. (2022) show that survivors of spiritual abuse often suffer long-term psychological consequences, ranging from anxiety and depression to identity confusion and religious trauma syndrome (RTS). The teachings that once provided meaning become sources of shame and fear.
This manipulation is especially prevalent in authoritarian environments where questioning is equated with heresy. Victims are often told that their doubts are evidence of spiritual weakness, leading to deep internal conflict and loss of trust in both faith and community.
Sexual Misconduct and Systemic Silence
Perhaps the most visible form of institutional abuse is sexual misconduct. Although widely documented—especially in Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic contexts—the institutional response is often one of denial, minimization, or outright cover-up. Pope Francis (2019), in Vos Estis Lux Mundi, called for institutional accountability, but structural barriers and cultural resistance continue obstructing justice for victims.
The systemic silence surrounding abuse cases—through victim-blaming, non-disclosure agreements, and resistance to secular intervention—exposes the lengths to which institutions will go to protect their authority and image.
Authoritarianism in the Islamic Context
Religious authoritarianism further entrenches institutional abuse within Islamic institutions. Abou El Fadl (2001) distinguishes between religious authority, which guides ethically and intellectually, and authoritarianism, which silences critique and monopolizes religious interpretation. When religious leaders claim divine sanction for their interpretations of the Qur’an and Hadith, they construct a reality where critical engagement is replaced with passive submission.
Slater (2020), building on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s Horizontverschmelzung (fusion of horizons), argues for a hermeneutic approach that considers the historical and ethical contexts of sacred texts. This interpretive pluralism challenges rigid readings that dehumanize, delegitimize, or marginalize dissenting voices.
However, in many Muslim communities, especially within diasporic African American contexts, questioning leadership is stigmatized, and blind obedience is extolled as a religious virtue. This dynamic reproduces cycles of harm, especially against women, youth, and converts who are often less empowered to resist (Abou El Fadl, 2001).
Two Practical Illustrations
- Cultic Loyalty and Emotional Manipulation
In high-control religious groups, institutional abuse operates through psychological isolation and extreme loyalty. González et al. (2022) describe communities that enforce strict behavioral codes, punish deviation, and create environments where members fear spiritual failure for dissenting. Emotional manipulation becomes a daily ritual—administered through teachings, surveillance, and public discipline (Ellis et al., 2023). - Prosperity Gospel and Economic Ruin
The prosperity gospel movement exemplifies financial abuse cloaked in divine rhetoric. Johnson and VanVonderen (1991) show how members are pressured to give “until it hurts,” told that blessings are proportionate to sacrifice. This exploitative narrative has led many into financial distress while enriching a handful of institutional leaders.
Pathways to Healing and Institutional Reform
Reforming institutional abuse requires more than public apologies or superficial policy changes. It demands a profound theological, ethical, and structural reckoning. Several key actions are necessary:
- Independent Accountability Structures: Institutions must establish independent oversight bodies to investigate abuse allegations without internal bias (Fernández, 2022).
- Ethical Theologies of Power: Religious education must include frameworks that critique authority, advocate for justice, and center the individual’s dignity.
- Trauma-Informed Ministry: Leaders should be trained in trauma-awareness, ensuring pastoral care is compassionate, not coercive.
- Transparent Governance: Religious institutions must practice transparency in financial dealings, disciplinary actions, and doctrinal interpretations.
Most importantly, institutions must move away from control and toward community, away from fear and toward flourishing. Faith must be reclaimed not as a tool for domination, but as a sacred path to healing, liberation, and justice.
Conclusion: Reclaiming Sacred Space
Institutional spiritual abuse is not merely a failure of leadership—it is a distortion of the divine call to love, justice, and mercy. As we work to deconstruct the theological and structural systems that have enabled harm, we must also cultivate spaces of spiritual integrity. The goal is not to dismantle religion, but to redeem it from systems of harm. Faith communities must become places where healing is prioritized, dignity is protected, and power is exercised in service of the sacred, not in defiance.
Only then can we truly reclaim the sacred.
References
Abou El Fadl, K. (2001). Speaking in God’s name: Islamic law, authority and women. Oneworld Publications.
Anderson, T. (2023). Power and obedience: Religious authority in postmodern institutions. Faith & Society Press.
Ellis, A., & Tucker, M. (2021). Sacred scars: Trauma, theology, and healing. Ecclesia Publishing.
Ellis, A., Tucker, M., & Daniels, S. (2023). Systemic sanctity: A review of institutional spiritual abuse. Journal of Religion and Mental Health, 42(1), 77–94.
Fernández, J. (2022). The silent pulpit: Institutional complicity and spiritual abuse. Crossroads Academic.
González, R., Patel, S., & Juma, L. (2022). The cultic turn: Psychological control in religious movements. New Horizons Press.
Johnson, D., & VanVonderen, J. (1991). The subtle power of spiritual abuse. Bethany House.
McGraw, C., Ben-David, N., & Sayeed, H. (2019). Discipline and devotion: Emotional manipulation in religious leadership. Religion & Ethics Journal, 18(2), 102–118.
Oakley, M., Richardson, C., & Shah, A. (2024). Broken trust: Exploring institutional trauma in religious settings. Social Theology Quarterly, 39(3), 221–240.
Pope Francis. (2019). Vos Estis Lux Mundi. Vatican Press.
Slater, R. (2020). Gadamer and Islam: Fusion of horizons in contemporary Islamic ethics. Routledge. Zaeske, S., Thomas, M., & Barlow, J. (2024). Obedience or oppression? Faith, conformity, and control. Theological Studies Review, 26(1), 51–72.