DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Violence against women is an expression of gender inequality that manifests in multiple forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and symbolic. According to the United Nations (UN) and the Economic commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), this violence occurs in different contexts—familial, public, institutional, state, and in armed conflicts—and affects more severely women who face multiple discrimination. More than isolated incidents, these aggressions are part of a system that seeks to maintain the subordination of women. Overcoming this reality requires awareness, collective action, and an ethical commitment to gender justice.

In a previous blog post, I presented the study called Violence Against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: A comparative analysis of population-based data from 12 countries and compared and contrasted it with two other research studies conducted in Latin America, carried out by Paz y Esperanza in 2013. The first, Behind Closed Doors: Evangelicals and domestic violence in Córdoba, Argentina, the second, Behind Closed Doors – Evangelicals and domestic violence in Peru. The comparison between the secular study and the two studies conducted among the Christian-evangelical population did not yield good results. The cruel reality is that Christians exercise and suffer violence in the same way as those who claim not to profess or practice any faith [1].

Now I would like to discuss three more studies. Two conducted in the United States, among the evangelical population, but thirty years apart from each other; and the third recently conducted in Australia.

The first is called Battered into Submission: the tragedy of wife abuse in the Christian home, carried out by James and Phyllis Alsdurf [2]. For this study, the Alsdurfs interviewed more than 500 Protestant pastors in the United States and Canada. The results revealed that perhaps many pastors may have done more harm to the victim by encouraging her to stay with the abuser instead of choosing to help her find a safe place. Here are some highlights from the study:

• 26% of pastors advised the abused woman that she should continue submitting to her husband and trust that God would honor her actions.
• 25% of pastors said that the wife’s lack of submission was what triggered the violence.
• The majority of pastors indicated that they were willing to accept a marriage in which some form of violence was present, rather than advising a separation which could end in divorce.
• 71% of pastors said they would never advise an abused woman to leave her husband.
• 92% of pastors said they would never advise an abused woman to seek divorce.

The second research to be discussed was conducted in the Midwest, United States and carried out between 2005 and 2015, which explores the supportive atmosphere for victims of domestic violence within Christian clergy and church community [3]. Here are some of the results:

• Church members desire that clergy have counseling training so that they can address domestic violence from the pulpit.
• While many church members would prefer to attend counseling with their pastor if they found themselves in a violent relationship, clergy felt more comfortable referring victims to professional counseling.
• Both clergy and church members desire to create an atmosphere of safety and support for victims and survivors of violent relationships.

The third study was conducted in Australia, but despite the geographic and cultural distance, it largely coincides with both studies conducted in the United States. We have already discussed that victims who belong to a faith community, when finding themselves in situations of violence in their home, will first turn to their pastor or a leader within the church. The study “Submit to your husbands: Women told to endure domestic violence in the name of God” [4], interviewed more than 250 people, including clergy, social workers, psychologists, etc., and examined the intersection of faith, religion, and domestic violence. The study found that part of the problem is the church itself as an institution, by interposing other factors before providing safety, understanding, and refuge to victims. Among the reasons cited by interviewees for not being able to offer adequate help to victims are:

• The emphasis on forgiveness and submission under any circumstances.
• The rejection of female leadership.
• The stigma surrounding divorce, even when it is a consequence of abuse.
• The lack of understanding of what constitutes domestic abuse and how to respond to it.
• Disbelief when hearing women’s stories of abuse.
• The lack of desire to respond urgently to the situation of violence.

The three studies discussed in this blog, plus the two discussed in the previous blog, shed light on the following:

• Domestic violence happens and has been happening within our faith communities.
• The scarcity of education and sensitivity among clergy, church workers, and church members to know more deeply the prevalence of the problem of violence in its different manifestations and know how to deal with it.
• The need for education, intervention, assistance, and prevention plans or strategies to exist in the church to support victims.

And finally, the five studies presented remind the church of the inescapable commitment to work with the most vulnerable, providing them with safety, healing, and restoration.

References:

[1] Violence Against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis of Population-Based Data from 12 Countries. PAHO/WHO, 2012.

[2] Alsdurf, J., & Alsdurf, P. Battered Into Submission: The Tragedy of Wife Abused in the Christian Home. 2nd ed. Eugene, Oregon: InterVarsity Press, 1998.

[3] Zust, B., Flicek, B., Moses, K., Schubert, C., & Timmerman, J. “10-Year Study of Christian Church Support for Domestic Violence Victims: 2005–2015.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2018. doi:10.1177/0886260518754473

[4] “‘Submit to your husbands’: Women told to endure domestic violence in the name of God.” ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/domestic-violence-church-submit-to-husbands/8652028. Published 2019.

[5] García, Vanina et al. Dentro de las Cuatro Paredes: Evangélicos y Violencia Doméstica en Córdoba, Argentina. Córdoba: Paz y Esperanza, 2014.

[6] Calderón Carranza, Mauricio et al. Dentro de las Cuatro Paredes: Evangélicos y Violencia Doméstica en el Perú. Lima: Paz y Esperanza Internacional, 2014.