NCJ Number
216537
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 12 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2006 Pages: 1169-1190
Date Published
December 2006
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article examined religious leaders’ understanding of how relationship dynamics related to intimate partner violence (IPV) focusing on the concepts of equality and submission.
Abstract
Despite religious leaders’ differences, the desire to protect women from abuse while advocating the relationship structures that they thought would be most rewarding was consistent. Within their initial definitions of a healthy marriage, none of the leaders appealed to the concept of submission. Ninety-one percent of the leaders were concerned that teachings of submission could be interpreted to support abusive behavior. Leaders who endorse this relationship structure may wish to take care to repeatedly emphasize the importance of sacrifice within leadership. To live in any culture is to know its rules and systems of behavior. Patriarchal religions tend to be governed by rules that initially were formed by and for a male citizenry. This article explored how different religious leaders understood the interaction of gendered relations within marriage and the development of intimate partner violence (IPV). The article stems from a qualitative analysis on the intersection of IPV and faith. Study participants consisted of 25 senior and midlevel faith leaders from the Memphis area. The study findings highlighted these religious leaders’ conflicts and rationales as they considered IPV. Table, figures, references