Restoring the Spirit of the Abused Christian Woman, focuses on the spiritual and emotional components of the domestic violence by helping the reader understand the abused Christian woman’s struggles and her need for understanding and help from her Christian community. The book is unique in that it is written from the abused woman’s perspective. It presents the author’s story intertwined with the stories of other abused Christian women. In the voice of the abused Christian woman, the book presents her internal conflicts, confusion, transformation that results from her abuse, conflicts with God, and feelings about advice she receives from her faith community when she seeks help and healing.
The book provides extensive discussion of scriptures that frequently create spiritual struggles for the abused Christian woman. Scriptures also are presented that help women more fully understand the Bible’s view of domestic violence and that empower women to break free from the bondage of abuse. Understanding the scriptures is key to emotional and spiritual healing. In addition, the book includes extensive discussion and exercises to help the readers reflect on and develop their own convictions about scriptures that often lead to controversy within churches and spiritual struggles for victims. Discussion of the scriptures is designed to promote healing rather than guilt for the victim.
For example, the book reviews scriptures about how abuse is sin and how God views relationships in the context of violence. The abused Christian woman is encouraged to study the scriptures to gain clarity about her experience, strengthen her faith, re-examine her dilemmas, make her peace with God, and reclaim His promises to move to freedom and healing from abuse. Education about domestic violence also is provided to help the Christian community understand the victim and provide her with effective physical and emotional support.
Being a Christian woman in an abusive relationship has its own set of unique and complicated problems. After all, we are taught that we are to be submissive and obedient to our husbands, that they are the head of the household and we answer to them. We are taught to put our needs and wants after those of our husband and children. We are taught to not question our husband’s leadership, but instead back him up in all of his decisions.
And that usually works very well in a healthy relationship where both spouses love and respect each other, listen and share thoughts and ideas and work equally well together as a couple. It doesn’t work well if one of the spouses is an abusive, narcissistic, disrespectful control freak.
A Path to Hope, written by Rose Saad, a survivor of domestic violence, is a thorough, scripture-based book written to help the abused Christian woman sort out all the confusion of being a victim of a man who professes to be a Christian, but his actions tell a different story. And then he uses scripture to validate his abusive ways.
Rose details what domestic violence is and the ways the abuser gets and keeps control. In great detail, she places the situation in scripture from realizing you are a victim to healing, dealing with the anger and shame and onto forgiveness. She reveals how God hates abuse and that domestic violence is a sin. She also includes a section on how the community and church can better help victims of domestic violence.
This book is an invaluable tool for those struggling in an abusive Christian relationship and those who feel the call to help victims dealing with this growing problem.Check out more of Rose’s wonderful writings at rosesaad.com.
Domestic abuse impacts one in four women in America, and families in the faith community are no exception. Everyone has a role to play in creating peaceful families, especially people of faith. High-profile domestic violence cases in the media raise public awareness, yet domestic abuse is more often characterized by the largely overlooked and unreported low-profile cases going on every day.
Rose Saad adds her thoughtful voice to the timely discussion of domestic abuse. Her book is interspersed with meaningful first-hand accounts and extremely practical advice, both for the abused person and her faith community. She has made a valuable contribution to an important cultural conversation.
Rose Saad has written a courageous book, as one who has been through one of life’s toughest storms. Domestic violence, and its carnage, is misunderstood—especially in the church. It’s time for the church to wade into these deep waters and offer abuse victims the protection they deserve. God has always been concerned about the oppressed. “God is close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18 NIV).”
As an author, I end to read for enjoyment while evaluating technique and style. I am impressed with Rose Saad’s work. I am impressed because she was able to write a book that is powerful, authentic and solutions-driven while using style and technique that is of a high quality. I recommend this book to churches, social groups and women all around. As women, we must invest in ourselves and this book is an investment. You will be healed. You will be renewed. Rose congratulations and I and I wish you success with the many books to come.
This is a much needed book for all women who have experienced domestic violence but Christian women in particular. Christian women who experience domestic violence face a unique set of issues that can cause deep spiritual struggles and impede their ability to make decisions and take action. A Path to Hope addresses these unique issues in a more thorough and compelling manner than any book about domestic violence that I have seen. I strongly recommend this book for all women’s ministries and pastors in Christian churches as well as support groups and organizations for domestic violence victims, both secular and faith-based. Many secular support programs for domestic violence victims serve a large number of women with a Christian background, and this book would serve as invaluable guide for helping women who struggle with faith-based concerns in the process of freeing themselves and their families from domestic abuse.
