Customer Reviews

Leaving the Fold

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For the person who has been moderately to severely hurt by their christian faith, Marlene Winell's book gives a voice to those whose personal lives have been filled with guilt, fear, shame, and repression, and authenticates their painful experiences with her own, and with quotes from others telling of their emotional trauma's inflicted on them by fundamentalist Christianity. With each chapter focussing on different stages of recovery, this book gives a compre- hensive understanding of the root causes that often lead to aspects such as: low self-esteem, loss of emotional feelings, loss of critical thinking, the loss of ability to feel natural emotions, among with other painful aspects that can be caused. Most importantly this is not angry book about blaming christianity. This book is primarily a book about recovery and hope. The abuses that fundamental Christianity can cause are addressed, the reader is then showed steps of recovery, that if followed, will lead to a healthier sense of individual identity and a more positive approach towards living life in this world. In summary, if you feel you have been hurt by fundamentalist christianity, I heartily recommend this book. This may be the very book you have been looking for!

It's been a few years since I wrote this book and I want to thank my readers for letting me
know it was so helpful. A common response has been "I wish I had this book a long time ago
- it would have saved me a lot of pain and struggle." I began writing it to clarify my own
experience and then found that many people could relate. So I have tried to identify the key
recovery issues for anyone leaving a rigid kind of religion, and Christian fundamentalism in
particular. Since then, I have worked on additional topics related to recovering from religious
indoctrination, such as sexuality and pleasure, reclaiming spirituality, and the impact on
relationships. An issue for many people is how to relate to others who are still "in the fold"
such as parents, friends, or partners. I am interested in your ideas and experiences if you
would like to write - .... You can read about what I am doing on my
website - just search under Marlene Winell. Also, I am available for counseling by telephone
in Santa Cruz, CA. I wish you all much joy, peace, and happiness!

Also recommended: Losing Faith in Faith, by Dan Barker The Mind of the Bible Believer, by
Edmund Cohen

Dr. Winell views religious fundamentalism through the lens of psychology and treats it as a valid addiction or disorder. It normalizes and clearly articulates the unfortunate outcomes for those immersed in religious fundamentalism. Rather than "Christian bashing," Winell's discussion focuses on humane needs that are sorely ignored within the fundamentalist system. Frank, easy to read, well organized, helpful, I think this book is hopefilled for those scarred by the mind control techniques of fundamentalist belief systems. It also provides a wellspring of resources in reading and thinking differently. This book is so spot on, my co-therapist and I will be using it as our model text in our religious recovery/former fundamentalist support group.

I am SO glad that Dr. Winell wrote "Leaving the Fold". I am just starting to read it, and it is uncanny how much I relate to every page.

I thought my experiences were unusual, but now I realize that my 23 years of Catholic/Born-Again Christian experiences have really been a form of abuse, one in which I took part in willingly, not realizing until now the extent of the damage done.

I am in therapy now, and the book is helping me to realize that my repulsion to religion (in spite of my continued yearning for spirituality) makes sense, given how the church has clouded my thinking.

It's amazing how "Churchianity" has caused and/or exacerbated many of my various issues. I look forward to using the book to help my therapist (who WAS also very religious) and I to help me overcome all that past conditioning, and to reach toward really becoming an adult.

The book has helped me realize why I am and "adult", but still don't feel grown up. The church has fostered a pseudo parent-child relationship with me, and I have been living as a functional "adolescent" for all these years. Whew! Now I can finally live and think for myself.

Thank you...thank you...thank you!!!

P.S. Does anyone know how I can get involved with a support group for this issue?
I live in the Glendale/Pasadena area (San Gabriel/San Fernando Valley areas of Los Angeles)?
Please feel free to email me (at ljgagnon@yahoo.com) if you know of a group, or are interested in starting one.

Like Father Leo Booth's _When God Becomes A Drug_ this book frankly faces fundamentalism with all the hurts and limitations that can come with it. It has been over 20 years since I had the experience, but it can still be troubling. I encourage anyone trying to leave a controlling fundamentalist church to read this book. It doesn't try to tell you where you should end up philosophically, but it doesn't pull any punches about the harm done by fundamentalism either.

Fundamentalist christianity is considered to be a main-stream, and therefore benign, religion by most people today. Therefore, people who make the lonely journey out of a literal faith in the Bible often find themselves misunderstood, even by those who are not literalists themselves. There are support groups for other problems, but few ex-Christians find anyone, even a counselor, who can relate. This book provides do-it-yourself counsel from a psychologist who has been there. During the rawest time in my process of walking away from the faith, this book was the only thing that helped me stay sane. This book helps you understand what you attracted you to the faith and what was ultimately lacking in it. Some of the exercises may seem a little childish, but if you take the time to do them, you will find that you have grown in your recovery after finishing the book. Thank you Marlene Winell!

As a former fundamentalist, I have worked over the past ten years with individuals and small groups focusing on recovery from religious dysfunction and addiction. Although there are several other excellent resources on this topic, Winell's book is essential for understanding how Christian fundamentalism and conventional Christian religion can foster dependency in its adherents.

Winell describes her own Pentecostalist upbringing and the processes she explored for moving from authoritarian belief to a holistic adult faith. Using a convenient workbook format, supplemented with helpful checklists, Winell guides the reader through a three-part path to recovery: Sorting It Out, Healing, and Growth. An extensive Resource section provides a listing of books, media and organizations pertinent to the role of religion in the life of the individual and society.

Winell works from the perspective of one who is recovering from a Christian form of dysfunctional belief. Several other authors have dealt with religious addiction in general, or in other traditions. These include: "Blind Faith: Recognizing and Recovering From Dysfunctional Religious Groups", by Kaye Marie Porterfield, "Cults In Our Midst", by Margaret Thaler Singer, and "Creating Love: The Next Great Stage of Growth", by John Bradshaw.

As a former fundamentalist, I have worked with individuals and small groups focusing on recovery from religious dysfunction and addiction. Although there are several other excellent resources on this topic, Winell's book is essential for understanding how Christian fundamentalism and conventional Christian religion can foster dependency in its adherents.

Winell describes her own Penetecostalist upbringing and the processes she explored for moving from authoritarian belief to a holistic adult faith. Using a convenient workbook format, supplemented with helpful checklists, Winell guides the reader through a three-part path to recovery: Sorting It Out, Healing, and Growth. An extensive Resource section provides a listing of books, media and organizations pertinent to the role of religion in the life of the individual and society.

Winell works from the perspective of one who is recovering from a Christian form of dysfunctional belief. Several other authors have dealt with religious addiction in general, or in other traditions. These include: "Blind Faith: Recognizing and Recovering From Dysfunctional Religious Groups", by Kaye Marie Porterfield, "Cults In Our Midst", by Margaret Thaler Singer, and "Creating Love: The Next Great Stage of Growth", by John Bradshaw.

As a voracious reader, no other book has touched me the way this one has. I feel as though I have been released from prison. With each page, I can feel new freedom permeating through my soul. Finally, someone had the courage to address this subject! There is a surprise here. You get two books for one. Growing up damaged with an authoritarian father, the profound wisdom in this book works just as well with that issue. Fundamentalism came later for me. Thank you, thank you Dr. Winell! You have laid out the most sensible road map out of the emotional abyss. I simply cannot endorse this book enough!!!!

Reading this book will put words onto emotions that you never knew how to describe. Problems that you don't know how to put a finger on- this book puts the finger right on it for you. I found myself in total agreement and understanding to everything Marlene had to say. Thank you, Ms. Winell for such a great book. My husband and I are both working through it for the second time in two years.