Spiritual abuse has always been a major concern in churches, the world over. Yet, never before, have we seen such a new willingness to share painful and destructive experiences in churches as we have seen in recent years. People want to be heard and they long to find healing.

Not of My Making, by Dr. Margaret Jones, is the true story of one woman's journey through the realities and consequences of abuse in churches and families.

The book engages the reader from the outset, setting the stage for a compelling journey through the perils of abusive church systems from the perspective of a sincere seeker of truth.

Spanning the realms of Unitarian Universalism as well as mainstream Christianity, I found Dr. Jones' first hand experiences regarding the similarities in abusive practices between them to be shocking and informative.

But if I had to choose one word to describe the work, I would choose the word 'honest'. Dr. Jones writes with an introspective, transparency of thought that is downright refreshing. She writes with fairness and constant self-examination, sharing her humanity and vulnerability. And, while the subject matter creates an immediate expectation within the mind of a potential reader, this is not a church-bashing book by any stretch.

For those who are sensitive to it, there are strong references to occurrences of emotional and sexual abuse and a little bit of profanity as well. It does not detract from the book, however; just be ready for it.

Even at 400+ pages, it moves forward at a good pace.

Overall, this is a good read for anyone who wants further insight into the effects of spiritual abuse.

Here is a link to the book's Amazon.com listing:

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Making-Margaret-Jones-PhD/dp/098014910X