ARE THE ECHOES OF YOUR RELIGIOUS PAST HOLDING YOUR SPIRITUAL FUTURE HOSTAGE?
If so, author Susan Ford can relate. Raised as a legalistic, fundamentalist Baptist, Susan felt trapped, hopeless, and depressed until she set out to pursue the truth with all her heart.
In Beyond the Parentheses, Susan shares her personal story and invites you to embark on a powerful journey where you will realize how you too can:
- Recognize, confront, and resolve lingering religious trauma
- Seek and pursue truth wherever it leads
- Boldly embrace love and discover healing
This book is for you if you:
- Have a complicated relationship with God and Christianity
- Have been hurt by religion or have had it used as a weapon against you
- Are navigating or considering a return to faith after religious trauma
IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM YOUR SPIRITUALITY AND SEEK THE TRUTH YOU DARE TO BELIEVE EXISTS.
IT’S TIME TO MOVE BEYOND THE PARENTHESES.
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Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .xiii
Are You Stuck in Spiritual Parentheses? . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv
Reflection Invite: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .xix
Part 1: Living Under Legalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter 1: In the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2: Train Up a Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Chapter 3: Drowning in Dogma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Reflection Invite: Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Part 2: Leaving Fundamentalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 4: Questions Without Answers . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter 5: Through the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Chapter 6: Broken Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Reflection Invite: Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Part 3: Looking for Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Chapter 7: Laying the Bedrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Chapter 8: Asking Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 9: Making a Decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Reflection Invite: Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Part 4: Latching onto Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Chapter 10: Seek and Ye Shall Find . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Chapter 11: Processing Religious Trauma . . . . . . . 129
Chapter 12: A New Perspective of Love . . . . . . . . .151
Reflection Invite: Part 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Part 5: Laying Down Ego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Chapter 13: The Most Reluctant Convert . . . . . . . . 165
Chapter 14: Facing Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Chapter 15: Admitting Humanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Reflection Invite: Part 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Part 6: Letting Go of Perfectionism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Chapter 16: Hiding from Imperfection . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Chapter 17: Safe to Be Imperfect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Chapter 18: Forgiven Imperfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reflection Invite: Part 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Abiding in Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Reflection Invite: Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231