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Researcher Response
Responses of faith communities can take many forms, usually encompassing spiritual guidance, the compassionate comfort of friendship, and the practical needs of those involved. Whatever the response, acceptance and assistance from one’s community of believers can indeed offer a “safe haven” for respite along the faith journey.
Matthew 25:35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Naked and you clothed me, I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me. Then the just will ask Him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you to drink? When did we visit you when you were ill or in prison? The King will then answer them, I assure you as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for Me.”
Religion has historically been subjected to a multitude of criticisms by the secular world. When combining religion with the tragedy of wife abuse there are concerns both on the part of those who approach the issue from a spiritual perspective and those with a secular perspective. In order to most effectively assist women of faith who are victimized by their partners, however, bridges need to be built between the “steeple and the shelter” (Nason-Clark 2000c).
The benefits of clergy involvement for religious victims are elucidated by Shannon-Lewy and Dull (2005). They argue that faith leaders do have an important role to play in dealing with issues of wife abuse as they may shape and define expectations of acceptable behaviour, they may have an ongoing relationship with the victim and her family, they can direct resources such as physical space and congregational support, and importantly, they can act as the theological source for healing of victims.
Another important connection for many men who have acted abusively is with their faith communities. Schneider (1999) discusses the importance of developing social capital through relationship building amongst members of a community, often based on shared understandings and patterns of trust. He refers to this as “trusting that of God in everyone,” a process that does have a recognizable impact on men of faith in recovery. In her discussion of “what congregations do,” Ammerman (2001) states that “[c]ongregations are places where people take care of each other. They are a ‘first response’ social service agency….”(p. 16) Faith communities may be sources of invaluable practical assistance and compassionate support as members deal with the myriad of consequences related to violent behaviour (George, Ellison and Larson 2002).
Relatedly, Meissner (1973:136) argues that “the religious community provides a sustaining and hope-embodying matrix within which the individual can find confirmation of his own inner hope and meaning.”
Throughout the literature, and in my own research, I have found numerous examples of the benefits of clergy and/or faith community involvement when families are in crisis due to violence.
Barbara Fisher-Townsend, Ph.D. The RAVE Project
Ammerman, N. T. (2001). Still gathering after all these years: Congregations in U.S. cities. Can charitable choice work? Covering religion’s impact on urban affairs and social services. Edited by A. Walsh, 6-22. Hartford, CT: Trinity College.
George, L. K., C. G. Ellison and D. B. Larson (2002). Explaining the relationships between religious involvement and health. Psychological Inquiry 13(3): 190-200.
Meissner, W. W. (1973). Notes on the psychology of hope: The psychopathology of hope. Journal of Religion and Health 12(2): 120-139.
Nason-Clark, N. (2000c). The steeple or the shelter? Family violence and secularization in contemporary Canada. Rethinking church, state and modernity: Canada between Europe and the USA. Edited by D. Lyon and M. Van Die, 249-62. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Schneider, J. A. (1999). Trusting that of God in everyone: Three examples of Quaker-based social service in disadvantaged communities. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 28(3): 269-295.
Shannon-Lewy, C. and V. T. Dull (2005). The response of Christian clergy to domestic violence: Help or hindrance? Aggression and Violent Behavior 10: 647-659.
Researcher Response
It may be difficult for some ministers to condemn partner violence from the pulpit. In the African American community, the church is a key source of support or frequently functions as a gateway to other community services. Ministers hear from those who are experiencing violent situations and from those who want the public outcry raised from the pulpit. Because of this, the minister may experience conflict between having some feeling their secret has been publicized and others feeling the minister is insensitive to addressing this issue. However when the minister, especially the lead pastor of a church, speaks out from the pulpit, it is an effective action.
1. Where there are concerns about confidences, clarify from the pulpit that partner violence is an issue that hurts everyone. A minister can announce that choosing to speak from the pulpit is not a breach of anyone’s confidence because no one should assume that any church is immune from incidents of partner violence, not the pews nor the church offices.
2. If there is concern that the leadership will be overwhelmed by women stepping forward once they believe their church is a safe environment for them to disclose about partner violence, then church leaders can enlist the support of community agencies that they believe will work well with them.
3. Seek out and bring in faith-based advocacy/educational groups like “A Call to Men” that work to increase our sensitivity to the ways we devalue others, and to the levels of violence in our daily lives.
4. Work with community partners to build a more active support network for church members needing help and develop a plan, so that the church does not end up feeling that the floodgates have been opened.
So plan the sermon, engage and prepare network support as necessary, then speak.
- Speak about the ways headship in the home has been distorted, and provide a corrected vision.
- Speak about how ‘submission’ is not ‘subjection’ and provide a corrected understanding of the mutuality of submission in marriage.
- Speak out to the victims needing support. Identify the leaders to whom they can speak confidentially knowing their confidentiality will be preserved while help and support are identified.
Jacqueline Dyer, PhD, MSW, LICSW
Assistant Professor at Eastern Nazarene College
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