Any people, at one time or another, struggle with faith issues about sin, guilt, punishment, and hell. But a large segment of the population, many of them Catholic, are so afraid of sin that their lives are marked with anxiety and fear. These people suffer from an affliction called 'scrupulosity.' Rather than experiencing faith as a source of peace, scrupulous individuals can't seem to shake their feelings of impending doom, disappointment, and eventual condemnation.
Based on thirty-five years of questions and answers to the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter, this book provides specific answers to questions and concerns related to sin, confession, self-worth, sexuality, prayer, God's forgiveness, thoughts, dreams, fantasies, and other issues. It offers words of encouragement and helpful suggestions to those who suffer from this affliction and for those who counsel them.
Thomas M. Santa, C.Ss.R., former director/editor of the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter (1993-2003), is the director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona. He works with people who suffer from scrupulosity and offers retreats and workshops to pastoral ministers and professional therapists who work with people suffering from the compulsion. His latest book is Sacred Refuge: Why and How to Make a Retreat.
