Digging Deep Into Women’s Oppressionin the Quiverfull Movement

Typical Patriarchal Christian Fundamentalist Belief?

Or Spiritually Abusive Cult?

Jenn DavisREL 390: Women and ReligionUnit 7: Final Presentation

Although an affiliation with a specific denomination is never explicitly discussed, The Learning Channel (TLC) has brought the Quiverfull Movement into the homes of Americans, without most viewers realizing it. The reality-based television program “19 Kids and Counting” follows the Duggar family and their 20 children in their life of a large family, continuing pregnancies, and faith-based lifestyle.

“The Duggars aren't your average family. In fact, they're almost 7 times the size of an

average family. And while raising 19 kids can be a challenge, for the Duggars, it comes with

more than its share of rewards.”-

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/19-kids-and-counting

The National Website for the Quiverfull Movement Describes their Beliefs as:“We exalt Jesus Christ as Lord, and acknowledge His headship in all areas of our lives, including fertility. We exist to serve those believers who trust the Lord for family size, and to answer the questions of those seeking truth in this critical area of marriage.”(www.quiverfill.com)

Most Prominent Belief Based on Biblical Scripture Verse Psalm 127:“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man who’s quiver is full of them.” (In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control is Shunned)

Average Number of Children per Family: 8.5 (In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control is Shunned)

God’s Choice Determines Family Size:Follows the belief that God is in total control of conception; opening and closing a woman’s womb. Therefore, adherents are open to however many children they have –many or none – as “God Himself maintains sole provenance over conception and birth” and as His followers, need to be open to however many gifts God bestows. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiverfull)

Contraception – in any form – is forbidden (artificial forms of the “pill” as well as natural forms of “natural family planning.”)(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiverfull)

“Quiverfull” is not a religion or a denomination, but an ideological movement. Most followers consider themselves Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christians.

Movement is most prominent in the homeschooling communities in which families use religious-based material for teaching.

As the movement is not an organized religion and not affiliated with a unified church with most members attending a “home church,” knowing exact number of followers is impossible. Estimated to be upwards of 10,000 families in America.

(Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement)

1 Peter 3:1God’s promise that wives’ submissive behavior can lead unsaved husbands to the Lord.

According to Kathryn Joyce’s book Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, followers use literal interpretation of four main scripture verses to

justify gender-based roles for women.

Proverbs 31:10-12Lists attributes women are to possess to be a godly wife and depicts women as “above rubies.”

Titus 2:3-5Older women, in their holy behavior, should teach the younger women to be sober, love their husbands and children, and be discreet, chaste, keepers of home, as well as act good and obedient to their husbands.

Ephesians 5:22-24Possibly the most important to adherents: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is

subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%205&version=KJV

Mary Pride (shown left) is known as a pioneer of homeschooling and the promotion of Quiverfull beliefs. Explains her stand on birth control as, “Family planning is the mother of abortion. A generation had to be indoctrined in the ideal of planning children around personal convenience before abortion could be popular.” (Quiverfull: Inside the Christian

Patriarchy Movement)

More quotes from Mary Pride regarding

women’s roles in families and the feminist movement…

“Only a determination among Christian women to take up their submissive, motherly roles with a ‘military air’ and become ‘maternal missionaries’ will lead the Christian army to victory.”

“Birth control pills are an abortifacient” (that hormonal contraception such as the pill can cause the ‘chemical abortion’ of accidentally fertilized eggs).

“Feminism made wage slaves out of women who had once been slaves to God; it made ‘unpaid prostitutes’ out of women who should have been godly mothers and wives.”

With approximately 10,000 families in America, obviously many women enjoy following the beliefs that women play a specific role in a family – that of the helpmate of her husband, provider of God’s

blessing of many children, teacher of her offspring and model of submissive wife – training her daughters to be the same.

(The Quiverfull Conviction: Christian Mothers Breed Arrows for the War)

Many women have “escaped” the male-dominated movement and connected with others in similar situations via social media. What lead these women to leave?

Vyckie Garrison, founder of the blog No Longer Quivering, was a faithful follower of the patriarchal movement –homeschooling her seven children, publishing a monthly conservative family newspaper, and holding her godly position as supportive wife to her

husband, Warren, who had been blinded in a work accident years before. Although she presented the perception of happy Quiverfull wife, Vyckie struggled. In addition to the demands of a large household and difficult, continuous pregnancies, her husband became verbally abusive as a result of his dependency on her – “browbeating her and the children into frightened compliance.”As is common in large families, much responsibility is placed on older children. Her oldest daughter, crushing under the pressure, attempted suicide at age 21. Vyckie began to notice“her younger children as joyless and traumatized,” leading to herflee from the community, and to a messy custody battle in which she ultimately won.(www.salon.com/2009/03/14/joyce_quiverfull/)

Erika did not experience a Quiverfull childhood. Her family did not begin to partake in the movement until after pulling their children from public school at the end of her freshman year. A decision that began with a promise that she could continue her extra-curricular activities while homeschooling, soon proved different.

In a few short years, she was no longer allowed to participate in those activities, her friends and music and phone calls were all censored, and the females of the family were required to wear long skirts and head-coverings. Although she had no desire to participate in the traditional “courting,” she and her sister were happy when two brothers asked her father for permission to pursue them. He gave his blessing under the specific rules of: “no hand holding, no touching, no hugging, no kissing, no words of affection, no physical contact WHATSOEVER, no ‘I love yous’ (as that was reserved for engagement).” However, at age 20, her father decided the brothers were not marriage material and the ‘courtship’ was ended. Although Erika was an adult and legally able to make mature decisions, her father did not agree. “In the world of patriarchy, a woman’s thoughts, emotions, body and life are not her own. They are owned by a husband or a father. Forever. Never to be held in her own hands or heart.” Erika rebelled, unlike many Quiverfull daughters, and left her family to marry the man she loved. She now lives for helping other women find happiness, as she did. Her parents also left the patriarchal lifestyle and found their “spiritual freedom.” (www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/07/freedom-from-patriarch/)

Vyckie Garrison shares her definition of ‘spiritual abuse’:

“The most insidious spiritual abuse occurs when Believers begin to not only “find contentment” in their abusive circumstances but to find spiritual meaning and divine purpose in their sufferings. This sort of mental gymnastics can easily manifest as a form of StockholmSyndrome when victims who believe that they have no options – no way out – delude themselves into feeling they do have a certain amount of control when they “choose” to embrace, support and defend their abuser…. She stops looking for a way to escape the pain, and instead –she learns to live with it, welcome it, and even thank God for it.” (Happily Abused: No Longer Quivering)

As a result of a patriarchal fundamentalist group in which the man is considered “Lord of the Home,” some cases of verbal and physical abuse is probable. Especially in those

homes practicing “Training Up Your Child” (see ‘Additional Resources’ for more information). However, a different type of abuse of women has become prominent –

at least, out in the open among ex-Quiverfull females – Spiritual Abuse.

Christianity in America has so many different forms, practicing so many different beliefs, many of which are not familiar in mainstream society. The internet and social media has made much more information available today. Movements such as Quiverfull, especially in times without a social network, have succeeded in oppressing women in the “name of the Lord” and almost brainwashing them into believing that not obeying the roles imposed of ‘wife’ and ‘mother’ is a sin.

As this is focused on the gender discrimination of women in this movement, many important issues are not addressed. However, much more information should have been included in this presentation, for societal awareness, if nothing else. What health effects do women experience as a result of continuous pregnancies and births, most of which occur unassisted and at home? What emotional scarring results from the “Training” method of discipline used by these families? Mothers responsible for homeschooling so many children without proper training, provided with only materials that are Christian-based and approved by their community has great detrimental effects on the children (please see ‘additional resources’ for more information).

Literal interpretation of bible scripture can be a wonderful spiritual tool for a Christian foundation for families. However, it is possible for women to have similar priorities of husband, children and homeschooling, without the patriarchal demeaning structure of this movement which provides so little support and encouragement that women are “escaping” with, at the very least, broken spirits.

For more information on additional issues involved in the Quiverfull movement, please visit these sites:

Spiritual Abuse www.recoverggrace.org

Home-schooled and Illiterate http://www.salon.com/2012/03/15/homeschooled_and_illiterate/

No Longer Quivering: Blogs of Women No Longer Part of Quiverfull Movement http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering

Pearls’ To Train Up A Child and Child Abuse http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/pearls-to-train-up-a-child-and-child-abuse/

Broken Daughters: Picking up the shattered glass of fundamentalism http://brokendaughters.wordpress.com/tag/quiverfull/

NPR – In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control is Shunned, Morning Edition, March 25, 2009.

Quiverfull Movement ev.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiverfull

All God’s Children, Kathryn Joyce http://www.salon.com/2009/03/14/joyce_quiverfull/

Born to Breed: An Interview with Quiverfull Walkaway VykieGarrison, PoliticusUSA, http://www.politicususa.com/born-breed-quiverfull-walkaway.html

Freedom From Patriarchy, Erika, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/07/freedom-from-patriarchy/

Happily Abused, Vyckie Garrison http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2012/06/happily-abused/

Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, Kathryn Joyce, (Boston: Beacon Press, 2009)

The Quiverfull Conviction: Christian Mothers Breed Arrows for the War, Kathryn Joyce, The Nation, 11/27/06

Title Slide: womensspace.wordpress.com/author/womansspace/

Slide 2: Photo Right: Duggerfamily.com

Slide 3: Photo Right: www.quiverfull.com

Slide 4: Photo Left: raisingarrows.net

Slide 5: Photo Left: ereleases.com

Slide 6: Photo Right: www.robwilkerson.net Photo Top-Left: quiverfullfamily.com

Slide 7: Vyckie Garrison (Left) Photo: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/ Erika (Right) Photo: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/07/freedom-from-patriarchy/ Photo Bottom-Middle: communicationartscompany.com

Slide 8: Photo Middle-Right: www.recoveringgrace.org