So many people are not affiliating with the church any more in the United States and elsewhere in the global West and North, yet these same people will also claim to have an interest in spiritual things. Carol Howard Merritt is my guest today. She is an award-winning author, speaker, and minister who often speaks and writes on the topic of ministering in a new generation. She decided to encounter this topic from a practical but also very personal level: pain.

In her book "Healing Spiritual Wounds" she opens up for the first time about her abusive Fundamentalists religious upbringing and the wounds it caused. She offered potent and concrete guidance for moving toward healing and wholeness, and she retells stories of the people she's encountered who have also longed for healing and a reconnection with God that doesn't involve pernicious doctrines or a faith journey mired in self-loathing.

This is a powerful conversation, especially for me personally, as I found Carol's work to awaken memories of my own religious abuse. People can be dogmatic and hurtful whether they have religious motives or not; and we've all been hurt by others, so this episode will probably touch you, even if you haven't experience religious abuse. It's important to remember also that we've all (likely) hurt others somehow because that's what humans seem particularly good at: making mistakes. Moving toward healing and helping others in their journey is the aim of this episode. I think it will benefit many of you and I wish that for you. Carol and I hope that you will pass this episode along to others.

Thank you.

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