No Place for Abuse

I just read this book by Kroeger and Nason-Clark for my sociology of women in the church class (yes, that's an actual course, I sort of created it with a fantastic ex-nun turned married sociology prof.) The authors expose rampant abuse against women in the evangelical church and encourage the Church to respond appropriately. The basic premise of the book is to condemn abuse, acknowledge fear, and offer choices to those in abusive relationships. No Place for Abuse represents many of the findings of the International Task Force on Abuse of the World Evangelical Fellowship. The task force was formed after an African woman bravely stood up at one of the world meetings and asked when the church was going to recognize abuse. "Some of you men in this very room are abusing your wives!" she said.

It made me rather sad to see statistics and narratives on women who are abused within the church. It also made me realize again how important it is to intervene in those situations. We often think that it's none of our business, or that it will get better, but that's just not the case. The Bible condemns abuse, abuse does not speak to the character of God, and we are called to defend the defenseless.

For more information on the task force on abuse go to http://www.abuseofwomen.org/about.html

Peace