Toxic theology

Toxic theology refers to belief systems that contain falsehoods; it does not refer to the underlying religion but rather its expression in a particular community of faith. Qualities of toxic theology are that they contain a measure of violence -- emotional, physical or spiritual -- and power abuse that compromise mental health and physical wellbeing, producing pain and suffering. Characteristics of such theology may include:

• followers are held to a rigid, unyielding system of beliefs
• and berated for independent thought
• producing cognitive dissonance or confusion due to internal contradictions and conflicting dogmas
• questioning is discouraged
• outsiders are suspicious
• pluralism of belief is discouraged; other religions are not acceptable
• biblical texts are interpreted literally
• pleasing God, who rewards piety and punishes faithlessness
• afterlife is real and consequent on current life.

Religious beliefs based on toxic theology can increase guilt, shame, fear of death and complicated grief.