Dr. Diane Langberg on Narcissists in the Church

Guest Bios

Show Transcript

Narcissists are, by definition, self-centered, and leave a path of relational devastation in their wake. So, what happens when a pastor, or church leader, is a narcissist?  

On this episode of The Roys Report, Dr. Langberg joins Julie for a second discussion—this one focused on the issue of narcissists in the church. As Langberg notes, “When you put (narcissistic tendencies) in the Christian world, and add position and verbal skill, and theological knowledge and Bible language, it can be extremely harmful and extremely confusing.”

So, what are the characteristics of a narcissist? How prevalent is this condition among church leaders? And what do you do if you suspect someone in leadership over you has narcissistic tendencies?

Diane Langberg Ph.D.

Diane Langberg Ph.D.  is globally recognized for her 47 years of clinical work with trauma victims & clergy. She has trained caregivers on six continents in responding to trauma and to the abuse of power. She also directs her own counseling practice in Jenkintown, PA, Diane Langberg, Ph.D. & Associates, which includes sixteen therapists with multiple specialties. She has authored numerous books, including Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse, On the Threshold of Hope, and Suffering the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores. Her latest book,Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, will be released October 2020.  

www.dianelangberg.com

http://www.dianelangberg.com/redeemingpower/

https://twitter.com/dianelangberg

Show Transcript

Note: This transcript has been edited slightly for continuity.

JULIE ROYS:  Though self-centered and cruel, narcissists can also be charming and magnetic and draw large groups of people to themselves. So what happens when your pastor is a narcissist? Welcome to The Roys Report—a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And today, I’m going to be discussing narcissism in the church with Dr. Diane Langberg. Dr. Langberg is a psychologist, author globally recognized expert in trauma and abuse. And she has so many insights to offer from her more than 45 years of clinical experience. And narcissism has become a very hot topic in the church because of repeated scandals. And so often at the center of these scandals is a church leader who is or at least appears to be a narcissist. Narcissism is bad enough among secular leaders. But when a narcissist is in a position of spiritual authority, the results can be absolutely devastating to the souls of so many people. By the way, this is the second conversation I’ve had with Dr. Langberg. Our first conversation focused on restoring abusers and the recent controversy at Cedarville University. The feedback from that podcast has been phenomenal. And if you missed it, just go to JulieRoys.com/podcast. You’ll find all of my podcasts there. Also, before we dive into this week’s podcast, I want to take a minute to thank Judson University, a sponsor of The Roys Report. And I want to remind you that Judson University’s next World Leader’s Forum is October 20th at the Renaissance Schaumberg Convention Center. The speaker for that event will be General David Petraeus, a four-star general and former director of the CIA. I know that’s several months away, which is a good thing given the current COVID crisis. But I encourage you to mark your calendars now for the World Leader’s Forum on October 20th. For more information, just go to JudsonU.edu. Well again, joining me today is Dr. Diane Langberg. And in addition to being a psychologist and author, she’s also a board member with GRACE, which stands for Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment. So, Diane, it is such a pleasure to have you join me for part two of our discussion. So, thank you so much. 

DR. DIANE LANGBERG:  You’re welcome. 

JULIE ROYS:  So, we’re going to be talking about narcissism today. And this has become such a big issue, I