When God becomes a drug

Library Journal

The author, an Episcopal priest and lecturer on recovery issues, defines religious addiction as ``using God, a church or belief system as an escape from reality, in an attempt to find or elevate a sense of self-worth or well-being.'' Symptoms include refusal to doubt or question authority, judgmental attitudes, eating disorders, using fear, shame, or guilt to control others, and eventual emotional isolation. Booth explores the background of religious addiction, comparing the addict's progress with the stages of alcoholism and citing case histories that demonstrate the consequences of religious addiction on family members, especially children, victims of the addict's religious abuse. Booth recommends counseling and outlines a self-help program for developing a healthy spirituality, using affirmations and exercises based on a rewritten version of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Appendixes give guidelines for intervention and professional treatment. Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton's Toxic Faith: Understanding and Overcoming Reli gious Addiction (Nelson, 1991) covers the same topic from a more conservative perspective. Recommended for public libraries.-- Lucille Boone, San Jose P.L., Cal.