When Narcissism Comes to Church, Chuck DeGroat
When Narcissism Comes to Church, Chuck DeGroat
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When Narcissism Comes to Church
Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse

Author: Chuck DeGroat, Richard J. Mouw

Narrator: Jim Denison

Unabridged: 6 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/17/2020


Synopsis

Why does narcissism seem to thrive in our churches?

We've seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we ourselves have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It's easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church? Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves—not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.

About Chuck DeGroat

Chuck DeGroat is professor of pastoral care and Christian spirituality at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and senior fellow at Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. He served as a pastor at churches in Orlando and San Francisco and founded two church-based counseling centers. He is a licensed therapist, spiritual director, and the author of Toughest People to Love and Wholeheartedness.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on May 13, 2020

Just like taking an abnormal psych class in college, a reader will likely see their reflection on many pages in the 200-page hardback "When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional and Spiritual Abuse". This newly released dossier, written by Chuck DeGroat, professor of past......more

Goodreads review by Bob on June 08, 2020

Summary: Explores the expressions narcissism can take in the church, the damage it may do, and healing both for the abused and the narcissists who abuse them. Chuck DeGroat makes this observation early in this book: "A colleague of mine says that ministry is a magnet for a narcissistic personality--w......more

Goodreads review by Joost on March 18, 2021

Pros: narcissism is real and (ouch!) I "have had?", "have?", "had?" a good bit of it. DeGroat serves us well by showing us what it looks like, patterns, etc. I really appreciated this, and it fueled a whole bunch of praying. It also helped me do postmortems on past relationships, but particularly wo......more

Goodreads review by Jason on February 24, 2020

The day I first heard about Chuck DeGroat’s latest book, When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional and Spiritual Abuse (IVP, 2020), I could not wait to read it. I pre-ordered it months ago, so when the opportunity arose to be on the launch team arose, I jumped at it. Ove......more

Goodreads review by Valerie on May 30, 2025

10/10 recommend for those who’ve been hurt, betrayed, used or condemned by narcissistic leaders, staff members or members of congregation at your church. It’s not an easy read…I cried through some of these chapters as I began to better understand what I had experienced, how it had happened and why I......more