Understanding Scrupulosity: 3rd Edition of Questions and Encouragement

Many people, at one time or another, struggle with faith issues about sin, guilt, punishment, and hell. But a small few, particularly Catholics, so fear offending God―or fear never being forgiven by God―that they are unable to participate in daily life without experiencing severe doubt and anxiety. Rather than experiencing faith as a source of peace, their faith causes them to dwell on or second guess every decision they make.

These people have scrupulosity. Sometimes called the doubting disease. Many Redemptorists believe their founder, Alphonsus Liguori, struggled with scrupulosity all his life. Because of this, Redemptorists have a special charism for compassionately helping those with this disease achieve peace of mind in their day-to-day struggle.

Based on a half-century of questions and answers published in the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter, Understanding Scrupulosity: Questions and Encouragement addresses concerns related to sin, thoughts, dreams, fantasies, and sexuality, as well as confession, self-worth, prayer, and God’s grace.

This third edition of Understanding Scrupulosity includes new chapters on identifying and understanding behaviors associated with scrupulosity, and explains the medical breakthroughs of the past decade on how to treat it.

Thomas M. Santa, CSsR, the priest director of the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter, has ministered to people with scrupulosity for more than twenty years. He is an associate faculty member and former director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona. He has also served as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Old Town, Chicago, and as President/Publisher of Liguori Publications.