The Trauma of Doctrine

The Trauma of Doctrine investigates the difficult relationship between traumatic experiences, maximalist religious beliefs, and the experience of God. The book highlights the dynamic and conflictive interplay between the timeless realities of abuse, divine control, and the psychology of religious participation.

---

The Trauma of Doctrine is a theological investigation into the effects of abuse trauma upon the experience of Christian faith, the psychological mechanics of these effects, their resonances with Christian Scripture, and neglected research-informed strategies for cultivating post-traumatic resilience. Paul Maxwell examines the effect that the Calvinist belief can have upon the traumatized Christian who negatively internalizes its superlative doctrines of divine control and human moral corruption, and charts a way toward meaningful spiritual recovery.