The Aquila Report

Your independent source for news and commentary from and about conservative, orthodox evangelicals in the Reformed and Presbyterian family of churches

Providence College
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Search
Home/Lifestyle/Books/Review: Unholy Charade

Review: Unholy Charade

Unholy Charade: Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church does an excellent job in pulling down an abuser's facade and revealing the ugliness behind the mask.

Written by Persis Lorenti | Wednesday, March 16, 2016

I lent my copy of Unholy Charade to a friend recently. When she returned it she said, “This should be required reading for every pastor and women’s ministry leader.” And I agree with her 100%. In theory, we may hate the very idea of abuse, but unless we recognize what it is, we could just as easily be duped by the charade and even aid the abuser unwittingly. I don’t think anyone would want to do that. Therefore, please don’t remain in ignorance any longer. Please educate yourself so you can help and not hurt.

 

Unholy Charade: Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church, Jeff Crippen with Rebecca Davis, Justice Keepers Publishing, 2015, 208 pages.

Most people would say that they would never condone domestic abuse. This is admirable. But it’s also interesting that when abuse has been uncovered in a Christian setting, the first words out of someone’s mouth are usually this:

I would never have guessed that so-and-so was abusive. He always seemed like such a nice, godly man.

Based on this typical response, we may abhor abuse and yet not truly understand its dynamics. We may not realize that abusers are master manipulators who have crafted a persona that they display to the world while acting very differently toward their victims.

Unholy Charade: Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church does an excellent job in pulling down an abuser’s facade and revealing the ugliness behind the mask. This book clearly details the traits of an abuser which include:

  • Entitlement
  • Power and Control
  • Justification of the abuse
  • 2-year-old tantrums
  • Lack of empathy
  • No shame, no regret
  • No fear

The tactics used to maintain control of victims are discussed at great length as well. This section is particularly helpful as many people only consider physical violence as abuse. There are many ways to batter a person’s soul through psychological manipulation and degradation without leaving a mark, and the consequences to the victim are just as severe. The aftermath of any form of abuse can result in:

  • Fear
  • Loss of identity
  • False guilt and shame
  • Alienation
  • Poverty
  • Physical injury and health issues
  • PTSD

Firsthand accounts of victims are included throughout Unholy Charade, giving powerful and heart-wrenching testimony to the evil they have suffered. These are real people, mind you, not made-up stories. These are people who could very well be sitting next to you in church.

As this book is written by a pastor, it also discusses where the church has failed and even enabled abuse. No one likes being rebuked, but we need to hear this. The difficult issue of divorce is raised as well, making the argument that the Bible does permit divorce for abuse. Of note, Pastor Crippen is confessionally reformed (LBC 1689), so his position is not derived from liberal theology. The book’s last two chapters end with practical advice on how we can stop the abuser’s charade and help the victims who may be in our midst.

I lent my copy of Unholy Charade to a friend recently. When she returned it she said, “This should be required reading for every pastor and women’s ministry leader.” And I agree with her 100%. In theory, we may hate the very idea of abuse, but unless we recognize what it is, we could just as easily be duped by the charade and even aid the abuser unwittingly. I don’t think anyone would want to do that. Therefore, please don’t remain in ignorance any longer. Please educate yourself so you can help and not hurt. I can’t think of a better book than this one to begin the learning process. I highly recommend Unholy Charade.

Author information from the back cover:

Jeff Crippen is the pastor of Christ Reformation Church in Tillamook, Oregon and has been a pastor for over thirty years. His sermon series on domestic abuse published on Sermon Audio led to his first book: A Cry for Justice: How the Evil of Domestic Abuse Hides in Your Church, and the blog www. cryingoutforjustice.com. Jeff and his wife, Verla, have been married for over forty years and have two adult children.

Rebecca Davis is a writer and editor with a passion to help the oppressed.

Persis Lorenti is an ordinary Christian. You can find her at Tried With Fire and Out of the Ordinary. This article appeared at her blog and is used with permission.

Related Posts:

  • What if Marriage Isn’t Making Me as Holy as I Had Hoped?
  • The Unbiblical – and Common!! – Way to Handle Reports of…
  • The Unholy Pursuit of God in Moby Dick
  • The Right to Be Believed
  • What’s An Exile to Do? Devote Yourself to Your God

Subscribe, Follow, Listen

  • email-alt
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • apple-podcasts
  • anchor
Providence College
Belhaven University

Archives

Books

Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian - by Danny Olinger

Special

God is Holy
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Donations
  • Email Alerts
  • Leadership
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Principles and Practices
  • Privacy Policy

Important:

Free Subscription

Aquila Report Email Alerts

Special

Letter of Jude
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Principles and Practices
  • RSS Feed
  • Subscribe to Weekly Email Alerts
Providence Christian College - visit

DISCLAIMER: The Aquila Report is a news and information resource. We welcome commentary from readers; for more information visit our Letters to the Editor link. All our content, including commentary and opinion, is intended to be information for our readers and does not necessarily indicate an endorsement by The Aquila Report or its governing board. In order to provide this website free of charge to our readers,  Aquila Report uses a combination of donations, advertisements and affiliate marketing links to  pay its operating costs.

Return to top of page

Website design by Five More Talents · Copyright © 2023 The Aquila Report · Log in