Battered Into Submission: The Tragedy of Wife Abuse in the Christian Home

Rating:
Summary: Should be on every Pastor's shelf...
Review: ...instead it's out of print.

"Battered into Submission" blows away the myth that spousal abuse doesn't happen in Christian homes, or that it doesn't happen any more. Using statistical and anecdotal data, the authors reveal undeniably how spousal abuse is ubiquitous in the Christian landscape. They map the denominations and doctrinal groups in which a woman is most at risk of abuse.

Although the data relates to the 1970's the book remains relevant. Most importantly, it delineates how the most usual counselling received from Christian counsellers to women who have already suffered abuse, in fact tends to perpetuate the abusive situation. Pastors who believe "things have changed" would do well to measure their own performance against this analysis as a check up on whether they are unconscious contributors to perpetuating spousal abuse.

This book, or some other as unblinkingly willing to face the facts of pastoral complicity in spousal abuse, should be required reading for every Christian worker who purposes to provide pastoral care or counselling.

Rating:
Summary: Should be on every Pastor's shelf...
Review: ...instead it's out of print.

"Battered into Submission" blows away the myth that spousal abuse doesn't happen in Christian homes, or that it doesn't happen any more. Using statistical and anecdotal data, the authors reveal undeniably how spousal abuse is ubiquitous in the Christian landscape. They map the denominations and doctrinal groups in which a woman is most at risk of abuse.

Although the data relates to the 1970's the book remains relevant. Most importantly, it delineates how the most usual counselling received from Christian counsellers to women who have already suffered abuse, in fact tends to perpetuate the abusive situation. Pastors who believe "things have changed" would do well to measure their own performance against this analysis as a check up on whether they are unconscious contributors to perpetuating spousal abuse.

This book, or some other as unblinkingly willing to face the facts of pastoral complicity in spousal abuse, should be required reading for every Christian worker who purposes to provide pastoral care or counselling.