Emotional manipulation in ministry
Is anyone aware of good reading resources about boundries and ethics of worship? What constitutes emotional manipulation in worship? In working with youth? Are there guidelines anywhere that help define characteristics of emotional integrity in ministry?
I recently attended a service that was deeply disturbing to me, and want to process why I felt the way I felt about the service. Thanks!
I recently attended a service that was deeply disturbing to me, and want to process why I felt the way I felt about the service. Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Douglas C. Sloan on
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To what extent were people being motivated to act immediately?
To what extent were people being dissuaded from taking time for additional independent research, careful consideration and reflection, or discussion with others?
To what extent were independent individual decisions allowed, encouraged, and protected?
To what extent were people made to feel guilty about having second thoughts, hesitation, or considering other options?
To what extent were contrary opinions and actions punished or threatened with punishment?
To what extent were people made to feel that the choice was their future inclusion or exclusion?
To what extent were people made to feel it is "us" against "them"?
How long was the service?
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Permalink Reply by John E. Smith on -
Doug - I like this list a lot. Very comprehensive and useful.
I would like to ask what you mean by "Future inclusion or exclusion"? in the sixth entry.
It would be interesting to develop a numerical scale for each question and add some descriptions to further illustrate what is meant by "to what extent". For example:
"To what extent were people being motivated to act immediately?"
1 - No immediate action suggested
2 - Consider this for the future
3 - The time is right
4 - Sense of urgency
5 - Do it now!
Not a great example, but hopefully you get the idea.
John
John
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"Future inclusion or exclusion" - by making the "correct" decision or taking the "correct" action, one is better included in the community. Otherwise, one's status with the community is left peripheral, made more distant, or explicitly excluded (shunned).
Yes, an answer scale for each question would provide more useful data.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Zahller Brown on -
Douglas-
Your questions are excellent, and helpful- but not entirely helpful as I work through the service that concerned me. At this particular service there was no action requested per se- but the atmosphere of the service felt manipulative to me. It relied heavily on pathos to evoke strong emotion toward making a "decision for Christ." Part of what troubles me about it is that it wasn't blatant... Additionally it relied on many people sharing more of their own stories than might be in their best interest. I felt like a voyour. It seemed to me that the worshippers were "being played" without realizing it. Confession has a place in Christian tradition, as does testimony- but when is it too much? What demarks the boundary of appropriate sharing and appropriate privacy? What's the line between Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey in terms of telling of true stories?
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Permalink Reply by Brian Morse on -
I think this topic is very important. Anyone who helps to plan/lead worship needs to be aware of the impact worship has on people's emotions. Worship has such rich symbols that tap into people's life-stories. In nursing home worship I do my best to keep mindful of this.
I recently watched the first few minutes of the documentary Jesus Camp. In this I saw the intentional manipulation of emotions of children in a way that makes me feel sad and angry. It was an extreme example, but it happens all the time on smaller, but powerful, levels.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Zahller Brown on
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Brian-
Help me think through what it was about the emotional manipulation you saw in Jesus Camp that made you feel sad and angry. I've seen the movie, and what I witnessed Friday night reminds me of the movie. What are the risks for the children, (in Jesus Camp) for children and adults in general and for the church and for the gospel when people are "played" in order to evoke a response "for Jesus?"
Thanks-
Becky
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Rebecca,
1) What is the "Good News?"
2) Why am I a Christian?
At the intersection of those two questions - as they are answered by you, as they are answered by the leaders of the church whose service you witnessed, and how these two differ - should provide insight into your unease. I am guessing that there are some substantial differences between the way you would answer these two questions and the way the church leaders would answer these two questions. Also, I am guessing that both the methodology and theology you witnessed are bothersome. (Feel free to correct my "guesses")
At this service-
- what emotions were "played" and what specific techniques were used?
- by making a decision "for Jesus" what change would be expected in a person's reaction and response to other people?
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Last thought: the use of personal stories ( evidently bordering on TMI ) seems similar to an AA session ( I will differ to anyone with actual AA experience ). Certainly, an effective technique in therapy so that no one feels they are "too bad" to be helped. I am not sure it is an appropriate worship technique.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Morse on
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Let me be clear that I only saw the first 10 or 15 minutes. I only saw the meeting/worship that was taking place a few miles from me. I didn't see the most disturbing stuff from the camp.
It is hard for me to decide what most disturbed me, but I've thought about it all day. My answer is that what most disturbed me was the seeds of psychological damage (IMO) planted into such young hearts and minds. They were given the burden of every unbeliever's soul. Forget for a moment that this theology is one that I outright reject, what bothers me is that they were laying too much guilt and anxiety into these little children. There are responsible children's programs that proclaim fundamentalist theology. There are irresponsible children's programs that proclaim liberal theology (that's an assumption based on reason).
It is interesting that you bring this up because lately I've been thinking about good resources for children from a liberal point of view.
In your original post you mentioned boundaries. I think this is a helpful approach. Every person and group that leads worship needs to think about where their boundaries lay. I know that life is messy, but one should hopefully have a feeling "in the gut" that something is manipulative and hurtful....at least potentially so.
All meaningful worship is mindful of healthy group emotion. Worship is emotional, even for Disciples! In the broadest sense of the word, all worship "manipulates" emotion. That said, worship leaders have an ethical responsibility to be mindful and careful of emotional manipulation.
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Permalink Reply by Jose Francisco Morales Jr on -
Hello, everyone!
My 2 cents...
As someone is self-identifies as a "charismatic/pentecostal", "born again" Disciple (with, paradoxically, liberal sensibilities), I would offer some counter-balance to what has been discussed thus far.
I do believe that emotional manipulation has taken place in these and other ecclesial circles. What happens in the documentary Jesus Camp is a prime example. And I, as a charismatic, do not condone that behavior; for as I see it, it's spiritual violence.
Nevertheless, I also believe that intellectual manipulation also happens and is just as detrimental to Christian formation. Intellectual manipulation happens, for example, when a young person has an authentic, trans-rational (not irrational) experience, but since said experience doesn't fit the theological and "rational" frameworks of the religious leader who is mentoring the young person, he/she automatically seeks to squelch and disprove that young person's authentic charismatic or mystical encounter.
I also believe that an immediate response is sometimes the appropriate response. At the church I recently served, there were countless of testimonies of folks who, like President Obama, had a dramatic, on-the-spot, born-again experience, and said experience has been validated by the ensuing years of faithful commitment to Christ and His Church.
Sometimes, an immediate response is the appropriate response. "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:20)
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Permalink Reply by Brian Morse on
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Jose - Thanks for your response. You bring up valid and interesting points. Frankly, I'm glad that many of the newer congos are charismatic. That is going to add some zest to our mix!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Holmes on -
I would recommend the book 'Pyschology for Christian Ministry' by Fraser Watts, Rebbecca Nye and Sara Savage. All three authors have now published works of thier own as well looking at aspects of psychology in worship and emotional manipulation. As a D.Min Student at Durham University in the UK my thesis is looking at the emotional content of worship as stimulated by the use of visual media and technology. I have found a number of worship services that have been manipulative through the use of this media. As someone who worked in broadcast television production for a number of years I have been aware of the power of careful shot framing, background music and subject positioning. All to often within the church we fail to realise the powerful emotions that can be unleashed as part of worship. All acts of worship have an emotinal content that is varying in intensity and as such shape the worship and the 'experience' of worship. I hope more people might be as critical in their thinking about the worship they offer as you appear to have been with this particular experience.
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