Rev. Dr. A'Shellarien AddisonFounder & CEO, Bethel Bethesda Global · Board-certified Army Chaplain | Spiritual Clinical Trauma-Informed Theologian | Empowering Women to Accentuate Their Greatness in Spirit, Finances, Relationships & Business

Alex J Pretti's death demands we ask harder questions.

27 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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After Alex J Pretti's death, the speaker argues we're asking the wrong questions. Political extremism isn't about ideology but wounded hearts seeking healing in harmful places. His book The Wounded Follower traces how rejection, trauma, and religious damage create zealots, offering a framework for healing families and communities.

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I thought this was another gimmick. It's not. This book made me rethink politics and faith in a way I didn't expect, and it changed how I talk about both. In this moment of national pain, we're asking the wrong questions. We're debating politics when we should be healing wounds. We're fighting ideologies when we should be addressing the rejection, trauma, and spiritual emptiness that make people vulnerable to manipulation. Political extremism isn't about politics. It's about wounded hearts seeking healing in all the wrong places. The Wounded Follower: How Rejection, Sensitivity, and Religious Trauma Create Political Zealots reveals why some people become so devoted to political figures they'll sacrifice everything, and more importantly, how to help them heal. This isn't a political book. It's a healing book for families torn apart, for faith communities fractured, for anyone asking, how do we come back together? The answer starts with understanding the wound. The Wounded Follower, available now on Amazon. Healing starts with understanding.