1. Typical Patriarchal Christian
Fundamentalist Belief?
Or Spiritually Abusive Cult?
Digging Deep Into Women’s Oppression
in the Quiverfull Movement
Jenn Davis
REL 390: Women and Religion
Unit 7: Final Presentation
2. 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
3. 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)
4. “Quiverfull” is not a religion or a denomination, but an
ideological movement. Most followers consider
themselves Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christians.
As the movement is not an
organized religion and not
affiliated with a unified
church with most members
Movement is most prominent attending a “home church,”
in the homeschooling knowing exact number of
communities in which families followers is impossible.
use religious-based material Estimated to be upwards of
for teaching. 10,000 families in America.
(Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement)
5. 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 31:10-12
Lists attributes women are to possess to be a godly wife and depicts women as “above rubies.”
Titus 2:3-5
Older women, in their holy behavior, should teach the
1 Peter 3:1
younger women to be sober, love their husbands and
God’s promise that wives’ submissive
children, and be discreet, chaste, keepers of home, as well
behavior can lead unsaved husbands to
as act good and obedient to their husbands.
the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22-24
Possibly 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)
6. 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.”
(The Quiverfull Conviction: Christian Mothers Breed Arrows for the War)
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.
7. 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 Erika did not experience a Quiverfull childhood. Her
Longer Quivering, was a faithful family did not begin to partake in the movement until
follower of the patriarchal movement – after pulling their children from public school at the
homeschooling her seven children, end of her freshman year. A decision that began with a
publishing a monthly conservative promise that she could continue her extra-curricular
family newspaper, and holding her activities while homeschooling, soon proved different.
godly position as supportive wife to her In a few short years, she was no longer allowed to participate in
husband, Warren, who had been blinded in a work those activities, her friends and music and phone calls were all
accident years before. Although she presented the censored, and the females of the family were required to wear long
perception of happy Quiverfull wife, Vyckie struggled. skirts and head-coverings. Although she had no desire to participate
In addition to the demands of a large household and in the traditional “courting,” she and her sister were happy when
difficult, continuous pregnancies, her husband two brothers asked her father for permission to pursue them. He
became verbally abusive as a result of his gave his blessing under the specific rules of: “no hand holding, no
dependency on her – “browbeating her and the touching, no hugging, no kissing, no words of affection, no physical
children into frightened compliance.” contact WHATSOEVER, no ‘I love yous’ (as that was reserved for
As is common in large families, much responsibility is engagement).” However, at age 20, her father decided the brothers
placed on older children. Her oldest daughter, were not marriage material and the ‘courtship’ was ended. Although
crushing under the pressure, attempted suicide at Erika was an adult and legally able to make mature decisions, her
age 21. Vyckie began to notice father did not agree. “In the world of patriarchy, a woman’s
“her younger children as joyless thoughts, emotions, body and life are not her own. They are owned
and traumatized,” leading to her by a husband or a father. Forever. Never to be held in her own hands
flee from the community, and or heart.” Erika rebelled, unlike many Quiverfull daughters, and left
to a messy custody battle in her family to marry the man she loved. She now lives for helping
which she ultimately won. other women find happiness, as she did. Her parents also left the
(www.salon.com/2009/03/14/joyce_quiverfull/) patriarchal lifestyle and found their “spiritual freedom.”
(www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/07/freedom-from-patriarch/)
8. 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.
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 Stockholm
Syndrome 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)
9. 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.
10. 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/
11. 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 Vykie
Garrison, 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
