Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse [Hardcover]

Steven R. Tracy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0310259711 | ISBN-13: 978-0310259718

Biblically grounded and psychologically informed, Mending the Soul is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive approach to understanding and treating every form of abuse for: * Pastoral and ministry staff * Small group leaders and youth workers * Educators and seminary students * Pastoral and clinical counselors It's time for the church to recognize the epidemic scale of abuse. Abuse kills. In its different forms---physical, sexual, verbal, spiritual, or neglectful---abuse deadens the emotions, slays self-worth, cripples the mind, even destroys the body. Its victims are legion. They live in your neighborhood, play with your children, and attend your church. In the United States * one in three women will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner. * around 1.5 million children are abused or neglected annually. * at least twenty-five percent of girls experience contact sexual abuse. But there is hope. God delights in mending shattered souls. However, healing doesn't come by ignoring the problem of abuse, minimizing its complexities, or downplaying its devastating impact. Healing comes by fully understanding the nature and ramifications of abuse, and by following a biblical path of restoration that allows God's grace to touch the heart's deep wounds. Mending the Soul sounds the call and leads the charge. Thorough and accessible, here at last is a unique and powerful resource for understanding and healing victims of abuse.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Biblically grounded and psychologically informed, Mending the Soul is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive approach to understanding and treating every form of abuse for: • Pastoral and ministry staff • Small group leaders and youth workers • Educators and seminary students • Pastoral and clinical counselors

It’s time for the church to recognize the epidemic scale of abuse.

Abuse kills. In its different forms—physical, sexual, verbal, spiritual, or neglectful—abuse deadens the emotions, slays self-worth, cripples the mind, even destroys the body.

Its victims are legion. They live in your neighborhood, play with your children, and attend your church. In the United States • one in three women will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner. • around 1.5 million children are abused or neglected annually. • at least twenty-five percent of girls experience contact sexual abuse.

But there is hope. God delights in mending shattered souls. However, healing doesn’t come by ignoring the problem of abuse, minimizing its complexities, or downplaying its devastating impact. Healing comes by fully understanding the nature and ramifications of abuse, and by following a biblical path of restoration that allows God’s grace to touch the heart’s deep wounds.

Mending the Soul sounds the call and leads the charge. Thorough and accessible, here at last is a unique and powerful resource for understanding and healing victims of abuse.

About the Author

Steven R. Tracy is Professor of Theology and Ethics at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (MDiv, ThM), and a received a PhD in New Testament from the University of Sheffield, England. He was a pastor for fifteen years and has extensive pastoral counseling experience. He and his wife Celestia, who is a family therapist, are the founders of Mending the Soul Ministries, a non-profit Christian organization that provides training, curriculum, and education on abuse prevention and healing. Dr. Tracy is the author of various articles on abuse and sexuality, serves on the Governor's Commission to Prevent Violence against Women for the State of Arizona, and serves on the Fatality Review Team for the City of Phoenix. A Mending the Soul workbook is available for individual or group use, and can be obtained at: www.mendingthesoulministries.org. SPANISH BIO: Steven R. Tracy es Profesor de teologia y etica en el Seminario de Phoenix, Arizona. Es graduado del Seminario Bautista Conservativo Western con una maestria en divinidad y teologia. Recibio un doctorado de Filosofia del Nuevo Testamento de la Universidad Sheffield de Inglaterra. Tracy ejercio como pastor durante quince anos y posee una gran experiencia en consejeria pastoral. el y su esposa Celestia, quien es terapeuta familiar, son fundadores del ministerio Mending the Soul, una organizacion cristiana sin animo de lucro que ofrece educacion, curriculos, y entrenamiento para prevenir y sanar abuso. El Dr. Tracy sirve en la Comision del Gobernador para la prevencion de la violencia en contra de la mujer en Arizona y en el Equipo de inspeccion de victimas mortales de la cuidad de Phoenix. Ademas de escribir un sinnumero de articulos publicados acerca del abuso y la sexualidad, el es autor de varios libros, entre ellos Comprende y sana el abuso en tu vida. Para mas informacion visite: www.mendingthesoulministries.org.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310259711
• ISBN-13: 978-0310259718
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #925,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven R. Tracy is Professor of Theology and Ethics at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (MDiv, ThM), and a received a PhD in New Testament from the University of Sheffield, England. He was a pastor for fifteen years and has extensive pastoral counseling experience. He and his wife Celestia, who is a family therapist, are the founders of Mending the Soul Ministries, a non-profit Christian organization that provides training, curriculum, and education on abuse prevention and healing. Dr. Tracy is the author of various articles on abuse and sexuality, serves on the Governor's Commission to Prevent Violence against Women for the State of Arizona, and serves on the Fatality Review Team for the City of Phoenix. A Mending the Soul workbook is available for individual or group use, and can be obtained at: www.mendingthesoulministries.org.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No other resource like this, April 13, 2005

By 

Joseph E. Brackman "PhotoJoe" (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse (Hardcover)

I could write a novel about this book, but I'll try to keep it brief. The reader of this review should know up front that I'm biased; I know the author and his wife well, and have served with them in their ministry. I greatly respect them both, and so my opinion of this book is in no small part shaped by my affection and respect for its author.

Dr. Tracy spends a great deal of the book showing hard research on the devastating effects of abuse. So many churchy people want to act like abuse can't happen in the church; Dr. Tracy was in the same boat until he found out that a fellow pastor in his church was beating his wife.

Also, each chapter is prefaced with a real-life personal story that illustrates the point that the chapter is making. Chapter topics include ideas like (ungodly) shame, denial, emotional deadness, and many of the other common results of abuse.

Practical issues like forgiveness and reconciliation are covered, but with much more care than most theologians exercise. For instance, when Luke 17:3 says, "If your brother sins against you rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him," doesn't that imply conditional forgiveness? Dr. Tracy parses this as "relational forgiveness," akin to reconciliation. That is, biblically, we aren't required to enter again into a close relationship with someone who hasn't turned from their abusive ways. How many times have you ever heard this? Rarely have I, but it's right there in the Bible. A different sort of forgiveness, according to Dr. Tracy, is unconditional, and that is simply giving up one's desire for vengance against the abuser. This would be what most people would call forgiveness, but too many counselors and pastors teach that we're required to enter back in to a relationship when the abuser hasn't really repented.

The material on ungodly/illegitimate shame is excellent, as this is one of the major ways that Satan uses a God-given mechanism for conviction of sin to go way beyond that and tempt a man or woman to be self-condemning. IOW, God wants us to grieve over our sin, but not to grieve over who he made us to be. We should hate our sin, but not ourselves, as we are made in His image. This is not pop-psych "self-esteem," but solid foundational theology.

A great book for anyone wishing to look at their own history of abuse and gain healing, or for anyone who wishes to grow in their own knowledge and compassion towards those who have been abused. This includes pastors, counselors, youth leaders, and husbands and wives of the abused.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Helpful Resource for BOTH, Abuse victims and Counselors, February 19, 2006

By 

M. Hibschman (Mishawaka IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse (Hardcover)

I have read many different books on abuse, from both the abused point of view, and the counselor's point of view. This is the most thorough, concise and "user friendly" book I've ever run across. It's thorough and concise in that it gives strong teaching in not only what abuse looks like, but how to unlock the damage done. It's "user friendly," in that it provides several "real life" illustrations that more clearly define the teaching that's being done. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to both abuse victims, and their counselors. I learned more from this book than I've ever learned from any other given resource. If you are an abuse victim, or one working with an abuse victim, this book is a DEFINITE "must have." I recommend that you read it slowly, and carefully. It's RICH in content.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Societal Solution, August 15, 2005

By 

Scott C. Brewster (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse (Hardcover)

How could one little book save our economy hundreds of millions of dollars? Not to mention avert the suffering and shame of untold thousands? If church leaders and laity alike, heck, if the English reading public at large would read this book and apply it to their businesses, homes, and churches could you imagine the results?
How about the early discovery of abuse, the breaking of the cycle of abuse in our society? To abuse: means to use wrongly, or improperly, or to misuse. Imagine if our society could identify abusive people, families, and institutions quickly based on key indicators? Imagine if the scandalous handling of the abusive priest situation in the Roman church had been handled according the tenets of Mending the Soul? Steve Tracy tells us why abuse is rampant, predictable, and most importantly, redeemable.
Written by a theologian with help from his counselor wife, Mending the Soul helps us to understand the effects of abuse including shame, powerlessness, deadness, and isolation. Steve Tracy lays out the healing path to face the brokenness, and to rebuild intimacy. Forgiveness is discussed including helpful and harmful models of forgiveness.
Start a group within your neighborhood, small group, or workgroup with this book. Or perhaps read it and recommend it to a friend of relative. If knowledge is power- this book is dynamite!


Scott Brewster, B.S. Finance, M.B.A., Ph.D. © Church Administration