Recognizing Stones and Snakes in Children’s Christian Formation: An Introduction to Religious Trauma and Abuse

Despite the growing awareness of child abuse, little academic research examines religious abuse and trauma during childhood. This paper constructs an interdisciplinary and intersectional heuristic of childhood religious trauma and abuse (RTA) by weaving together psychological and theo-philosophical literature with Rebecca Nye’s theory of childhood spiritual development. The paper argues that RTA distorts a child’s relationship with God leading to lifelong effects. It describes how America’s prejudice against children further facilitates religious trauma and abuse and outlines needed theological and structural changes from the perspective of religious education.