Why Have You Abandoned Me?: Discovering God’s Presence When a Father Is Absent

Responding to the many adults who struggle with the wounds of absent parents, bestselling author Peter M. Kalellis offers an intimate, meditative look at what it means to lose a parent-particularly a father-and offers therapeutic solutions for healing and returning to a full life. Drawing on various personal accounts-such as case studies, his work as a Greek Orthodox priest, and his own experiences as a son and father-Kalellis’s examples range from physical distance and emotional separation to total abandonment and untimely death, pursuing a healthy resolution in each case. Informing the psychology with his signature compassion and forgiveness-of both self and family-Kalellis reveals how a strong belief in the Heavenly Father can help sons and daughters understand their earthly ones, while unloading the burden of absence carried from childhood into adulthood. With each chapter enlivened by inspiring quotes from literature and Scripture, this resource concludes with a series of invitations for personal meditation and further reflection.

Peter M. Kalellis is a psychotherapist; a marriage and family therapist; and the author of Five Steps to Spiritual Growth, Restoring Relationships, and Restoring Yourself. He lives in Mountainside, New Jersey.