Book: "Leaving the Fold - A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving their Religion"

Back in Print!
You can purchase Leaving the Fold from Powell's Books, Amazon, or request it through your local independent bookstore.

You can also purchase an ebook version for $12 here. This includes two documents: The book, and a workbook with accompanying exercises.

Reviews

"Leaving the Fold is a compassionate blueprint for healing."

"Leaving the Fold is invaluable to those who have gone through the ordeal of religious addiction, abuse, and disillusionment, and who need a recovery plan. I highly recommend this book not only to the wounded, but also urge all pastors to study it carefully and then re-assess their own ministries. Dr. Marlene Winell has made a most important contribution to deal with the most heart-wrenching of experiences."

"This book by psychologist Marlene Winell provides valuable insights into the dangers of certain forms of religious indoctrination and outlines what therapist and victims can do to reclaim a healthier human spirit."

>>>More Reviews
>>>Testimonials on Amazon

The following selections can be read here:

• Preface
• Chapter 1: Recovery Process
• Chapter 2: My Own Story
• Epilogue

Leaving the Fold will help you if:

• You have become uncomfortable with your religion and are in the process of leaving.
• You want to understand more about Christian fundamentalism.
• You have left the faith that was meaningful to you as a child, and you need to sort out the aftereffects.
• You need to heal from growing up in a dysfunctional religious family.
• You became "born again" as an adult, but you are now disenchanted with the belief system.
• You are experiencing fear and anxiety, anger, or grief because you have left the fold.
• You struggle with depression and confusion because you have lost your structure of meaning.
• You have a family member or friend who is recovering from religious indoctrination.
• You are a helping professional and want to improve your ability to help clients who are recovering from their religious experience.

Contents:

Part I of the book, "Sorting it Out," is about understanding the issues of religious indoctrination. The chapters in this section include inventories and writing exercises to help readers assess there own experience. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the areas of impact and typical phases people go through in recovery. Chapter 2 is my story, offered as an extended example of one person''s journey who has reflected on these issues. Chapters 3 and 4 outline the attractions of religion and how those attractions are manipulated to ensure adherence to dogma. Chapter 5 discusses the major reasons people leave fundamentalism and what the leaving process can be like. Chapter 6 lists the many possible strengths that may also be gained from religious involvement. Chapter 7 explores the characteristics of a rigidly religious family and the alternative traits of healthy family functioning.

Part II covers the healing process. Chapters 8 through10 offer an approach to healing that involves the concept of an "inner child," a caretaking "adult," and the negative inner voice that undermines a person''s happiness, here called the "idea monster." Chapters 11 and 12 deal with the need to reclaim one''s feelings and work through phases of fear, anger, and grief. Guidelines are also provided for emergency self-care.

Part III concerns further areas of personal development. Chapter 13 concentrates on identity and self-love. Chapter 14 deals with learning to live in the present, instead of by and by. There are attitudes and skills involved for being at home in this world and finding pleasure now. In Chapter 15, readers are encouraged to think for themselves. In Chapter 16, the exciting but enormous human responsibility for choice is addressed. We can and must accept the challenge of co-creating our lives.

Quotes from Readers:

"Your book Leaving the Fold is wonderful! I've read it and re-read it. Thanks. I know so many who need your book and I've recommended it quite a bit."

"Just wanted to let you know how "right on" your book is. It is very helpful."

"There are few resources for people recovering from religious indoctrination and I am so truly grateful for coming across your book. I read it for the first time about 7 years ago, when I was starting to stray from my faith, and I was totally gripped, unable to put it down until I had read from cover to cover. It was simply unbelievable how much I identified with the words on paper and how much I felt they understood my situation and gave me a glimmer of hope that I could get out of this darkness. I have re-read it several times since then, each time, feeling similarly touched right down to my deepest core."

"I just wanted to thank you; it was your book, along with several others, that led me out of fundamentalism in 1995."

"Heard you on a radio station last week and immediately ordered your book. It is wonderful and extremely uplifting."

"I have read hundreds of books; self-help and spiritual types seeking some kind of personal truth. Your book is truly the highlight of all I've read. Recovering fundamentalists need people like you since we're now black sheep in the eyes of the flock. Your understanding of the problem gives me such hope and encouragement. I don't feel as isolated after reading your words."

"Greetings. I have been working on a book called How to be a Non-Christian, and cam across your book. You are my new best friend and I've never met you. My efforts may be redundant at this point. I am writing to applaud you."

"Thank you for writing such a most needed book. Needless to say, your book really did feel like an oasis of needed truth. No other book has helped me, or authenticated my experience like your book. Thank you, your book is gold, and a much needed lifesaver. Absolutely one of a kind! Your book made a huge difference in my life. And there are many books on Christian/psychology and self-help but yours really is the most accurate, and compassionate towards the readers. I just wish Oprah or whoever would put it on their book club. It deserves to be a bestseller. It is that rare, and that is good."

"Actually, one of the things I found most helpful was Leaving the Fold. I felt that my background had a lot in common with yours. I didn't discover your book until years after I'd "left" my fundamentalist upbringing but in some ways the "leaving" continues to happen, you know?"

"I just finished re-reading your book, and I'd like to thank you for having written it. "Leaving the Fold" pointed out psychological implications of a life dedicated to the ideals created by fundamentalists and other Christian groups."

"10 or so years ago, your book was recommended to me by an Atheist and was instrumental in correcting the course of my life. After much reading, I was able to free myself from the extreme fundamentalism of the Church of Christ Instrumental variety of Christianity but the relationships with my large family were severely compromised."

"I appreciate your book."

"I read your book, Leaving the Fold, well over ten years ago. It was an absolutely life-changing book, and helped me immensely. I just wanted to thank you for going to the effort of writing it, as it has helped to make me a much happier person. Much appreciation."

"I'm reading Leaving the Fold. I find the book insightful, so I wanted to explore more of what you've done."

"Thank you for writing your book. I'm reading it now and I hear my voice in much of what I've read. I will write again as I am too overcome with emotions and thoughts at this moment to write comments now. All I can say is thank you."