Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church
Reviewed date: 2024 May 17
207 pages
I wanted to like this book, but I found it disorganized and unfocused. For an incisive and insightful look at spiritual abuse in the church, read The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen. For a look at other sorts of abuse, I don't have a good book to recommend yet.
Chapters 1 and 2 are hard to decipher. Chapter 3 is frustrating and useless. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 are good.
Chapter 7 makes me angry: an entire chapter dedicated (seemingly) to blurring the line between complementarianism and abuse. I lean egalitarian, but it's not OK to paint complementarianism as intrinsically abusive. It's a theological and doctrinal framework that can be lived out in many different ways, and while I disagree that complementarianism is the proper interpretation of Scripture, it has a long tradition within Christendom and is well within the bounds of orthodoxy. It is not abuse. To label everyone who holds to such a view as promoting abuse (which is the implication of chapter 7) is wrong.
Chapter 8 is a plaintive cry, an emotional outpouring of grief from the author at all the racial injustice in history. For the author maybe it's cathartic. For the reader, it's not terribly useful.
Chapter 9 is a slightly better exploration of how spiritual abuse happens in churches and Christian organizations.
Chapter 10 is good, it talks about the culture of Christendom and the problem of worshiping the work, not God.
It falls apart in chapter 11. Langberg contradicts herself, repeats long-debunked canards about evangelical Christians, and waxes poetic and plaintive. This book is clearly not written for me, and it seems more interested in taking cheap shots at evangelical Christians than actually thoughtfully analyzing the problems that political and social power has caused in the American evangelical church.
Chapter 12 is better though.
Part 1: Power Defined
1: The Source and Purpose of Power
Power comes from God, and its purpose is to build the kingdom of God. Thus any use of power or authority that deviates from that purpose is a misuse or abuse of power.
Any time we use power to damage or use a person in a way that dishonors God, we fail in our handling of the gift he has given. Any time we use power to feed or elevate ourselves, we fail in our care of the gift. Our power is to be governed by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Any use that is not subject to the Word of God is a wrong use. Any use of power that is based on self-deception ,when we have told ourselves that what God calls evil is instead good, is a wrong use.
p. 12
Is that the Word of God as in the Bible, or the Word of God as in Jesus? Langberg is unclear on that point.
Godly power is derivative; it comes from a source outside us. It is always used under God's authority and in likeness to his character. It is always exercised in humility, in love to God. We use it first as his servants and then, like him, as servants to others. It is always used for the end goal of bringing glory to God.
p. 13
On page 6, Langberg says that the command to "be fruitful" in Genesis 1:28 means more than just reproduction and increasing numbers: it also means to "multiply [God's] image and likeness in everything we do." That sounds nice and it's poetic and all, but I'm not sure it's what the text of Genesis says.
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28, NASB 1995
Still, it's good to remember that all power and authority flow from God. So this is a good start.
2: Vulnerability and Power
I had a hard time understanding the point of this chapter. Langberg talks a lot about vulnerability. Even when we have power, we also have vulnerabilities. She says Jesus became vulnerable for us, by becoming human. And God exhibits vulnerability by allowing humans free will to choose or reject him.
Vulnerability and power are intertwined, engaged in a dance that is sometimes beautiful and sometimes destructive.
p. 19
Is that true though? Are vulnerability and power intertwined? It’s poetic and sounds nice—but are they really?
It’s not clear, but I think Langberg is saying that people who have power also have vulnerabilities—because everyone has vulnerabilities—and often out of fear, trauma, or whatever, they will use their power to protect themselves rather than admit to their vulnerabilities. In doing so they hurt others in the process. Additionally, when people reveal their vulnerabilities, those with power can either use their power to protect them, or to exploit them.
3: The Role of Deception in the Abuse of Power
Langberg starts with the role of deception at the individual level. Deception starts by deceiving one's self, then it proceeds into deceiving others. (p33) As it relates to abuse, we deceive ourselves and others when we refuse to see and acknowledge abuse by Christian leaders. (p32) Langberg also points out that the "most effective lies … contain some truth."
Langberg explains that deception can become systemic. "Deception becomes groupthink" when we rush to defend an abuser. (p36) Deception is contagious, systemic, and generational (p38) Deception is the opposite of God's character:
"Deceived hearts are closed hearts. They are closed first to the God of truth and second to other humans."
Speaking biblically, we love with our actions—and "deception is the antithesis of love" and "anything that does not look like God incarnate is not truth." Langberg points us to the Beatitudes and to Jesus—the real Jesus.
I found this chapter frustrating and useless. OK, sure, deception, self-deception, and lying are part of the culture of abuse. But give me some concrete steps, some visible signs to watch for, best practices to implement. I need more than agonizing heartfelt outpouring. This is a sign of what is to come for the rest of this book: it's less helpful and instructive than it is just an emotional outpouring.
4: The Power of Culture and the Influence of Words
We are unaware of the problems in the culture that shapes us. We don't even see it. (46) Christendom is a culture too—one filled with broken people. (47)
Good words backed up with evil actions deceive us, because we assume good words will be backed up with good actions. (48, 49) "We…assume those words are true, because we want them to be true, not because we have seen character that demonstrates their truth." (50) We use good words to describe, deceptively, evil and monstrous things. Good words describing evil things is still evil.
By contrast, Jesus' actions were backed up by God's good words. (53, 54)
"Words are our main tool for thinking." (54) We should treat all with love, dignity, respect, even when confronting error.
"There is no human being we will ever meet, no matter how wounded, disordered, or evil, no matter their theology, style of worship, or ways of thinking, who was not created by the God we love. Any culture—nation, denomination, city, church, or family—that leads us to treat someone otherwise is seducing us to behave in ways that break the heart of our God. The very God who crossed into our categories, bestowing dignity on all with great compassion, never dismissed those unlike himself, or we would have all been dismissed. He entered into categories that were nothing like him: male to female, Jew to gentile, holy to demon possessed. He never dehumanized us, though we had dehumanized ourselves by rejecting him who made us. He entered into our categories with truth and grace as the eternal entered the infinite and the holy entered the sinful. We are to do the same in his name." (56-57)
This chapter seems more useful than the previous one. It reminds us to be careful to watch that good words are backed up with good actions, and that we should not be deceived when they do not.
Part 2: Power Abused
5: Understanding Abuse of Power
Langberg starts with analyzing the etymologies of the words relationship and abuse, which does not impress me at all.
Langberg starts with the assertion that abuse of power happens within the context of relationship, which seems reasonable and I'll stipulate to that.
So, what is an abuse of power? It's when we wrongly use our power to achieve things that look like godly fruits, but we are misusing power to hide, ignore, and excuse "fraud and abuse." (62)
There are various kinds of power:
- physical (size, strength) (63)
- verbal (64)
- emotional (65) which is related to verbal power in that people desiring authority prey on the emotions of others, motivating them by promising them what they want.
Langberg warns that a person with knowledge, intellect, and skill is likely to "be granted unfettered, sometimes automatic authority." (66) A person's good character is assumed on the basis of their skills and abilities. E.g., Larry Nasser. (66) In the church, people assume the pastor speaks for God even if he gives bad, ungodly advice. Knowledge, skill, and intellect do not mean good character. (68)
Other forms of power:
- economic - e.g., financial control, leaching. This is often illegal. (68)
- sex (p69)
When it comes to sex, anything done "without consent" is an abuse of power. Children are unable to consent, and for an adult to consent the adult must 1) be able to choose, 2) not be unconscious, 3) not be drunk, 4) not be long-term abused, and 5) it must be safe to say no.
Verbal sexual abuse includes such things as crude language. Visual sexual abuse includes viewing and showing pornography, exhibitionism, and voyeurism. And of course, physical sexual abuse.
Langberg closes the chapter with some statistics about child sexual abuse, and a story about a youth pastor grooming and molesting a boy in the youth group, and the church dismissing and concealing the abuse when it came to light. "In direct disobedience to God's call to bend down and bear Kenny's burden with him, they increased it instead." (73)
6: Power in Human Systems
Systems, not just individuals, can be abusive (75) A "susceptibility to abuse is built in at some underlying level of the system's architecture." (76) "[Obedience] means accepting the delusion that such things are reasonable." (77)
For example, Langberg gives the example of the collusion between Boy Scouts of America leadership and police, pastors, and prosecutors to protect the organization. (78) "We have preferred our organizational trappings to the holiness of God." (79)
The parts of an abusive system are:
- Leader - charismatic, dominating, controlling
- Insiders - e.g., board members, donors, those with influence and power in the organization
- Followers - less power, unquestioning belief, actively protect leadership. Alienate those who question or bring accusations of abuse
Why don't people report abuse? Why don't people stop it? "We would rather believe a reassuring lie than an utterly inconvenient and disturbing truth." "We give more credibility to power." (81)
"How much easier it is to keep quiet and go along, especially when the system has been about doing good work in the name of God." (83) But Langberg reminds us, protecting an abusive system is not protecting a good thing, it's protecting a wicked and broken thing. E.g., an abusive marriage is already broken. You can't save the marriage by ignoring the abuse. The marriage is already broken. (83)
God didn't save the temple when Israel was wicked and sinful. We shouldn't save corrupt organizations. (83-84)
Responding to abusive systems:
- Face the truth. You can't treat and fix what you ignore. Jesus dissented. Show no favoritism. He lifted up the least, he challenged corrupt authority. Ephesians 5:11, expose the deeds of darkness
- "[Systems] are only worth the people in them and the people they serve." (87)
- We must expose "those things that are not like God." (87)
- Keep two things in mind: "be soaked in and shaped by the Word of our God, that we are able to see the truth." And "change of massive systems always comes one person at a time."
My note: don't be Augustine St. Clare. Do what you can. Do the little good you can.
7: Power between Men and Women
Returning Vietnam vets and wives of abusive husbands showed the same set of symptoms (92)
Jesus "never told them to submit to evil or wrongdoing." (p93) => Is that true? I am certainly in favor of women leaving abusive marriages, but is it actually true that Jesus never told us to submit to evil or wrongdoing? I think we could make a case, from Romans in particular, that Christians should submit at certain times to certain forms of wrongdoing, particularly if that wrongdoing comes from governing authorities. Then again, there are limits, and the case as it involves governments sheds very little light on what happens within marriages and within the church.
"Theological mantras" are used to silence victims. (93,94) It seems like Langberg is talking about complementarianism and gender roles.
"A tree is known by its fruit." (94) OK, is she going to base theology and doctrine on a human interpretation of what counts as a good outcome?
Langberg says that abuse within a marriage is a kind of divorce in itself. Don't presume that a government record (that is, getting a legal divorce) is what actually constitutes divorce in God's eyes. This is a great reminder, and it's a distinction I've carefully kept in mind for decades.
Langberg brings up Bathsheba, and asks if you've ever heard a sermon about David's abuse of her? The implication being that this isn't taught in church. But it is. Yes, I have heard about David's abuse of Bathsheba. That's brought up just about every time this passage is discussed. I've heard a sermon, a small group study, Bible studies, etc. Yes, yes, a million times yes.
The chapter has been building up to this, and now it takes a decidedly anti-complementarian tone. It's about doctrine now. People disagree, and Langberg doesn't like it. "We have allowed this discussion about the role of women to cause division in the body of Christ." (99) But this must cause division. Somebody is right and somebody is wrong. This must cause some level of division because we can't simultaneously have women as pastors and not have women as pastors.
And my goodness, Langberg wants to "wrestle" with this question. That's code for talking about it while telling all the complementarians to back down and shut up. Then she says literally one sentence later that women's gifts have been suppressed in the church. So she's lasted literally one sentence before backing off from the "wrestle" plea and presumed that everyone must adopt a fundamentally egalitarian view.
Don't get me wrong. I am egalitarian. Cautiously egalitarian. But this sort of attitude—that treats complementarianism as a priori wrong and abusive and impermissible—is an impediment to real dialogue. Langberg is demanding that everyone adopt an egalitarian view prior to engaging in dialogue.
Moving on to page 100. Langberg says that the theological basis for "maleness and femaleness" is eternal subordination of the Son. What?! This is just wacky.
She also mentions that complementarianism and egalitarianism are not the only models of marriage. (100) But those two models basically encompass the range of possibilities. This is a truly odd statement for Langberg to make.
Langberg then turns to the account of Priscilla and Aquila as she makes an argument for an egalitarian model of church. (100, 101)
As the chapter closes, Langberg pleads for openness and a willingness to be corrected. The cynic in me notices that this plea is not for everyone. It's aimed at men in positions of church authority, and it presupposes that an egalitarian framework is the correct, biblical framework. While I happen to agree that egalitarianism is the proper framework, I have not found this chapter helpful. The entire chapter seems designed to conflate complementarianism with abuse. That's wrong.
The chapter does end with some good observations though: "he will rule over you" is part of the curse, not part of Eden. (103) Headship that is used to justify abuse in the church is not real headship. Real headship is servant leadership. (103) Abusing power is not servant leadership. (104)
8: The Intersection of Race and Power
This chapter is less informative than it is a plaintive cry, an emotional outpouring of grief from the author at all the racial injustice in history. Which is…nice, but is it helpful? For her maybe it's cathartic. For the reader it's not helpful.
Langberg starts with two foundational truths:
- Each person is "purposefully knit together by the hands of our Father"
- "We are always to walk as Christ did."
Then she talks about the generational trauma of slavery and racism. (111) She explains the "intergenerational transmission of trauma" (112-113) such as when children of concentration camp survivors show signs of trauma themselves. Then she moves on to God's promise to Abraham: a promise of healing to the whole world. (116) We must pour out God's blessing on the whole world. Which, again, is nice…but is it helpful? How exactly do we do this? By preaching the gospel? Or by something else?
On page 117 Langberg counsels us to sit with trauma. Just be with people. Treat them with dignity and respect. Care for them. She uses the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman as an example. (118) The Samaritan woman was racially outcast and regarded as inferior, but Jesus asked her for help. He treated her respectfully. I take Langberg's point, though I fear she's stretching the Scripture rather a bit much.
9: Power Abused in the Church
How does abuse happen in the church? For example, the Rwandan genocide? How? "A heart does not become genocidal overnight." (124) There is evidence of the deceit and heartlessness that lead up to it. We see churches and Christian organizations cover up abuse.
Spiritual abuse - using authority of God's word, or of institutional authority—which implies spiritual authority—to hurt and wound. (126-7)
All abuse also implies spiritual abuse. (127)
Leadership - expertise and charisma. This puts pressure on leaders to achieve outwardly measurable goals: money, attendance numbers, etc. They lose their call to Jesus. (127-8) We choose spiritual leaders for their gifts, not their spiritual maturity. (129) Being theologically articulate is not the same as being an obedient servant of God.
Many pastors: 1) grew up unchurched, 2) came to Christ in college, 3) went to seminary, and 4) became a pastor. They have little or no supervision, often have backgrounds of addiction, ungodly families of origin, unhealthy emotional patterns. (130)
Often, those with more power display less empathy. (132) Thus a church may not be a safe place for vulnerable people.
A shepherd who "feeds himself" instead of the sheep is a bad shepherd, a fraud.
10: Christendom Seduced by Power
Christendom != Christ
Christendom != body of Christ
Christendom is a culture. It is a system, a set of institutions. (145)
If we do not examine Christendom, we must (or we will) support it and any abuses that come with it. (148) One problem: "the servant becomes obedient to the work and its demands rather than to Christ." (149) Thus any threat to the institution, any threat to the work, is a problem.
A shepherd may become jaded, prideful, angry, frustrated with his sheep. (150)
Four seductions:
- serving the work instead of God
- forgetting to be a sheep first and a shepherd second
- prioritizing work and neglecting personal relationship with God. Neglecting to pray, neglecting to sit at the feet of God.
- following human leaders, not Jesus
Examine longings: is it a longing for fame? Excellence? Recognition? (153)
Do not neglect to assess character! A leader's character behind closed doors should match public actions. (154) Do God's will, no matter the cost. Remember Jesus and the fig tree: throw out that with does not produce fruit.
Jesus broke down "barriers of race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, and morality." (156) Wait, morality? Really? I'm not sure if I agree.
"Good fruit is always produced by those who bear the likeness of Christ. That fruit is the character fruit of his Spirit in our lives." (157)
Part 3: Power Redeemed
11: Redemptive Power and the Person of Christ
Langberg warns that religions turn to violence when they get into political power, but immediately segues into exhorting us to be like Christ and "[disturb] massive systems and [turn] the world upside down." (162) Uh..that kind of sounds like political power or influence to me.
The kingdom of God is in hearts and minds, not in worldly structures and institutions. (162) I agree.
"No one is ruined in a crisis whose soul has not already been weakened by choices made in day-to-day life." (164) Nicely put.
Jesus is Light. If we follow Jesus, we should welcome the light, not fear what it will reveal. (165)
Page 167: Langberg trots out that old canard, that Evangelicals have the same rate of divorce and domestic violence as the secular world—well I know that's not true. The statistics say otherwise. Her source is Barna, 2008, and even Barna's results disagree with what she says about divorce rates. That's not even getting into Barna's wacky definitions, which are a real problem. And this source says nothing about abuse at all!
We follow ungodly Christian leaders into sin because we admire their skill and talent. (167) That certainly seems to be true sometimes.
Love. God is love. Jesus is love. If we follow Jesus, we will show love to those around us. (168)
Pages 170-171. It's getting poetic again. Preaching an emotive, plaintive message. But I want information, not emotion. Maybe this book is for people who need or want this pleading. Some people interact with the world in that way. I do not. This book is largely not for me.
12: Healing Power and the Body of Christ
The story of Zaccheus—Jesus turned an abuser into a giver and restorer. He came to "seek and save" the lost. (174)
We represent the name of Jesus (175) and Godly authority comes from being like Jesus, not from charisma or talent or leadership skills. We must lead like Jesus. (175, 176) Humility, considering others, is a mark of Christian character. (177)
To love, we must first love God, and then love others. (178) However, Christendom often prioritizes "authority over love." (179)
Authority only comes in the context of love. Authority without love is false authority. (179)
The early Christians rescued discarded baby girls. The church today is discarding people! E.g., Willow Creek, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Harvest Bible Church, Sankey Orphanage in the Philippines. Hey, she's not afraid to name names. Go Langberg! The church today must conform to Christ. (182) Today the church's reputation is the opposite. (184)
When the church is threatened, it puts all its energy into protecting itself.
Postlude
The abused and the victims in the church—they are our killing fields. The Killing Tree in Cambodia. Remember Jesus died on a killing tree too.
In Bulgaria, several powerful men stood on railroad tracks to stop Jews from being sent to Treblinka. (197)
Shouldn't our churches be seen as "allies" for those abused?