This book discusses the abuse of power in religious organizations. In this book, power-based abuse is defined as any act that promotes the status, dominance, authority, or identity of an individual or organization at the expense of the status, dominance, authority, or identity of others. Most often, power-based abuse initiates secretly without the input or consent of the victim. Thus, power-based abuse always occurs at the expense of others, and usually without their consent or input.