or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
More Buying Choices
41 used & new from $4.38
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Toxic Faith
 
 
Share your own customer images
Look inside this book
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Toxic Faith (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jack Felton (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
List Price: $12.99
Price: $10.39 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.60 (20%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Thursday, November 12? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
16 new from $7.42 25 used from $4.38

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover -- $3.78 $0.01
  Paperback $10.39 $7.42 $4.38
  Audio, Cassette -- $44.63 $8.49

Frequently Bought Together

Toxic Faith + Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, The: Recognizing and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority Within the Church + Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences
Price For All Three: $30.66

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences

Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences

by Ken Blue
4.3 out of 5 stars (21)  $10.20
More Jesus, Less Religion: Moving from Rules to Relationship

More Jesus, Less Religion: Moving from Rules to Relationship

by Stephen Arterburn
3.9 out of 5 stars (14)  $10.39
Twisted Scriptures

Twisted Scriptures

by Mary Alice Chrnalogar
4.3 out of 5 stars (28)  $11.69
Toxic Churches: Restoration from Spiritual Abuse

Toxic Churches: Restoration from Spiritual Abuse

by Marc Dupont
4.0 out of 5 stars (5)  $10.39
Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life

Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life

by Jeff Vanvonderen
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  $12.92
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Experiencing Healing from Painful Spiritual Abuse

When religion becomes a means to avoid or control life, it becomes toxic. Those who possess a toxic faith have stepped across the line from a balanced perspective of God to an unbalanced faith in a weak, powerless or uncaring God. They seek a God to fix every mess, prevent every hurt, and mend every conflict.

Toxic Faith distinguishes between a healthy faith and a misguided religiosity that traps believers in an addictive practice of religion. It shows how unbalanced ministries, misguided churches, and unscrupulous leaders can lead their followers away from God and into a desolate experience of religion that drives many to despair. Toxic Faith shows readers how to find hope for a return to genuine, healthy faith that can add meaning to life. In the words of the author, “I want to help you throw out that toxic faith and bring you back to the real thing.”


From the Inside Flap

Experiencing Healing from Painful Spiritual Abuse

When religion becomes a means to avoid or control life, it becomes toxic. Those who possess a toxic faith have stepped across the line from a balanced perspective of God to an unbalanced faith in a weak, powerless or uncaring God. They seek a God to fix every mess, prevent every hurt, and mend every conflict.

Toxic Faith distinguishes between a healthy faith and a misguided religiosity that traps believers in an addictive practice of religion. It shows how unbalanced ministries, misguided churches, and unscrupulous leaders can lead their followers away from God and into a desolate experience of religion that drives many to despair. Toxic Faith shows readers how to find hope for a return to genuine, healthy faith that can add meaning to life. In the words of the author, ?I want to help you throw out that toxic faith and bring you back to the real thing.?
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Shaw Books; 1st Shaw ed edition (February 20, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0877888256
  • ISBN-13: 978-0877888253
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,041 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Stephen Arterburn
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Stephen Arterburn Page
Look Inside This Book
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover
Citations (learn more)
25 books cite this book:
See all 25 books citing this book

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 10 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hope is Available--Break Free, November 14, 2002
By A sojourner (Olathe, KS USA) - See all my reviews
This book exposes the beliefs, characteristics and rules of toxic faith. For the most part, these aren't practices we will stumble across and recognize. In fact, that's the problem: they come disguised as respectable and often successful, or as strong and effective leadership. Once exposed, however, many will recognize these experiences all too well.

In these settings, for example, you don't ask questions, you don't express your feelings, you don't do anything outside your role and you don't trust anyone (four of the ten rules of the toxic faith system).

These are religion systems that are often subtle yet abusive, significantly materialistic (money is viewed as an indicator of spiritual strength), manipulative and, at heart, mean.

The combination of naivete and the general desire of religious folks to serve their churches, schools and organizations have caused many to succumb and become innocent victims. Paradoxically, it may take faithful followers willing to commit "organizational suicide" and become "outcasts" of the system in order to force other religious addicts to face reality.

Religious addicts are experts at setting up "exclusive societies" of toxic faith believers. People prosper and succeed by supporting the beliefs and practices of the "persecuting leader(s)." Once inside, you may not be aware of a "destructive system," but you will likely notice that your guilt and anger only increases while your self-worth decreases.

Addictive, hateful, destructive religion in America seems to have exploded since the first publication of this book in 1991. Recovery, hope and freedom are available. "Overcoming" starts with "understanding" the truths contained in this book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I highly reccomend this book, September 26, 2004
The entire book was descriptive to the experience I had in the International Churches of Christ, where I was a member for 12 years. There were several parts of the book that moved me to tears, it was very validating. The "10 rules of a toxic faith system" as well as the "5 roles in a toxic faith system" very accurately describe the church I was apart of. The authors have done an excellent job of describing toxic faith (even as it is sometimes masked in seemingly spiritual acts).
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all Christians!, February 6, 2004
By A Customer
This book helped me to see that any Christian can have unhealthy faith without realizing it! I really liked how Arterburn specifically explained each element of toxic faith. In addition, "Toxic Faith" helped me to understand the structure of an unhealthy system (i.e. a religious organization) and the role of all the players involved. This is a must-read for any Christian who wants to grow in his/her relationship with God. Also recommended for victims/former members of destructive religious cults.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes there is Toxic Faith
Excellent book, it covers the material thoroughly, explaining many different situations and how they have occurred, or developed over time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Grace

4.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Abuse is Real
Toxic Faith helps those of us who have come out of spiritually abusive groups to identify the "light bulb" moments and then some. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jean Whiting

5.0 out of 5 stars Toxic Faith- A Must Read!
This is such an important book- If I and my family had only been aware of this book's contents we might have `escaped' our toxic church prison twenty years earlier[... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Toxic sheep no more

4.0 out of 5 stars toxic faith
The proliferation of "addictions" and of "recovery groups" to deal with them certainly marks the contemporary cultural and religious scene. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gerard Reed

5.0 out of 5 stars thorough
This book is very thorough in giving the reader an understanding of all the people involved in such a faith. Read more
Published on May 7, 2007 by K.Koglin

5.0 out of 5 stars Toxic Faith
Every Christian needs to read this book. The last church I attended was toxic but when I was in it I didn't fully realize it. Read more
Published on March 14, 2007 by Lisa

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Insightful, but part cheesy self-help
This book is really good at pulling out and clarifying ways that religion can go horribly wrong with the best intentions. Read more
Published on December 11, 2006 by Gagewyn

5.0 out of 5 stars Been There
Many, maybe even most of us, have been in situations that are not healthy. At some point we realize that the person/group we are with are controlling, manipulative, and/or... Read more
Published on November 9, 2006 by SuJun

5.0 out of 5 stars Grace filled and very insightful
I am basically reiterating most of the other reviews posted for this book, yet I felt it was an important book to review because there are few books on this subject out there... Read more
Published on November 5, 2006 by freeatlast

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful
It was just what I needed. I have been abused by my parents my whole life. My counselor recommended this to me and it opened my eyes to what has been going on in my home for... Read more
Published on June 27, 2004

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.