When the Church Harms God's People: Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse, Pursue Truth, and Care for the Wounded

Respected trauma scholar and counselor Diane Langberg diagnoses how Christian communities too often mimic worldly institutions and end up harming people; she then issues a call to the church to love and serve those in their care.

Christianity Today 2025 Book Award (Church/Pastoral Leadership)

"A heartbreaking but necessary book."--Christianity Today

Internationally recognized psychologist Diane Langberg has come face to face with the crushing trauma of sexual abuse, trafficking, domestic abuse, and rape--and its cover-up.

Even more tragic, she has encountered it all within Christian communities and the church.

As a highly respected trauma scholar and psychologist working in the United States and around the world for more than 50 years, she envisions a better way.

In When the Church Harms God's People, Langberg unveils what she has learned about how churches cause harm and why Christian communities often foster unhealthy leaders who end up hurting rather than protecting God's people. She also offers hope for the future, describing how churches can reflect Christ not just in what they teach but also in how they care for themselves and others.

This book is an invaluable tool for leaders and laypeople alike who want to help the church resist abuses of power and become a safe place for survivors.