Finalist
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Hijacked Conscience is an essential resource which successfully aims to help promote awareness of Religious Scrupulosity OCD. Peck's struggles with this condition inform this thoughtful and helpful book as she details her lifelong, lonely, and personal battle.
Prose: Peck's text is detailed and compelling, insightfully revealing the many factors that contribute to Religious Scrupulosity OCD. She presents an astonishing account of the oppressive and paralyzing nature of the condition in a profound and absorbing narrative.
Originality: The Hijacked Conscience is an essential guide for pastors, those affected by religious scrupulosity, or mental health professionals. Peck's candid reflections manage to effectively transmit the desperation and desolation she feels, brilliantly highlighting a condition that is not widely recognized or talked about.
Character/Execution: Peck neatly weaves her personal story and relationship with the church along with detailed theological analysis. She bravely shares her battles with Religious Scrupulosity OCD, her life-changing spiritual encounters, and effectively transmits the desperation, loneliness and intensity of this little-known condition.
Blurb: An eye-opening insight into Religious Scrupulosity OCD.
Date Submitted: January 23, 2024
Debra Peck’s “The Hijacked Conscience: An Informed and Compassionate Response to Religious Scrupulosity” is an essential Christian book that offers an insider description of a little-known worry in religious circles today- the chilling fear of doing anything wrong and displeasing God in the process.
Religious Scrupulosity Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental condition that Peck found vague to many people, and a troubling concern that she was a victim of for nearly forty years. She constantly feared sinning and was always worried that she either had sinned or might sin or that she was not living a holy enough life. Sadly, the religious leaders around her were of little to no help since they were poorly trained to deal with the depth of her distress. Some of them had gone ahead to condemn her for not trying hard enough and completely dismissed her as overly conscientious.
It all began at a young age when her family began attending an ultra-conservative holiness church where women were required to dress and refrain from items such as jewelry. She was required to follow a set of numerous written and unwritten rules, failure to which suggested disconnection from God. The sinner’s prayer would find a permanent residence in her lips, in addition to being overly diligent about spiritual matters. Shockingly, her efforts were far from attaining the inner peace and holiness that her denomination pressed for.
In this book, Peck has selflessly articulated details about Religious Scrupulosity OCD to help pastors, counselors, and other religious leaders make a significant difference in the lives of those who are dealing with the condition. She has also offered practical steps for helping the victims understand how to deal with various causes of the condition, which include depression, anxiety, and phobias. Her case is moving and inspiring, with true details regarding the inception of a mental illness to a turnaround moment when her life took a new turn.
“The Hijacked Conscience: An Informed and Compassionate Response to Religious Scrupulosity” by Debra Peck is a thought-provoking, practical, and full of insights guide for clergy as well as mental health professionals. It is also a necessary read for Christian believers, who may want to demystify the true definition of holiness and salvation. It combines real-life experiences and well-researched information that will set religious captives free, as well as those trapped in self-hate and low self-esteem.
