ABSTRACT
What is a good enough reason for divorce? Well, according to Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, divorce is permitted only in cases of adultery or abandonment—as these are the only cases permitted in the Bible—and never in cases of abuse. As teaching pastor Tom Holladay explains, spousal abuse should be dealt with by temporary separation and church marriage counseling designed to bring about reconciliation between the couple. But to qualify for that separation, your spouse must be in the “habit of beating you regularly,” not be simply someone who “grabbed you once” (Joyce 2009). Objectives
To provide an overview of the role that religion has played in shaping family violence—especially child abuse and intimate partner violence
To identify the specific texts and passages that institutionalized religions rely on for shaping appropriate gender roles and parent-child roles
To explore the ways in which institutionalized religions have responded to family violence vis-à-vis texts and passages
To examine the responses of individual spiritual leaders to victims who seek assistance
To provide recommendations for transforming religion from an institution that directly and indirectly supports family violence to one that participates effectively in its eradication and prevention
