Peoria Journal Star runs series of articles on Passionate Housewives book

Hello to Far Above Rubies….not sure which contributor you might be! Thanks for leaving your comment and I welcome this discussion with you.

Since it had been a while and your comment left me a bit puzzled as to what I actually had written in those two reviews, I went back and reread them this morning.

First of all, as I stated in my review, I found Joyce’s assessment of many aspects of what I call the patriocentric movement to be spot on. That does not equate with me agreeing with her perspective on womanhood, however. If you read this blog or listen to my podcasts, particularly the series I did on the term “militant fecundity,” which addresses the quiverfull issue, you will see that I have an entirely different perspective on family size than either a radical feminist such as Joyce or than what the patriocentrists promote. I heartily embrace the truly biblical teaching that children are a blessing from the Lord and I love large families. However, where I would differ with many patriocentrists is that I believe that all human life is sacred, including the life of the mother and that there are situations when a couple ought to consider not becoming pregnant for that reason. I also believe that if a woman is found to have a true and genuine life-threatening pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy, she should not be forced to continue it, as many patricentrists would insist. (My view is shared by every single reputable pro-life organization, such as national Right to Life, etc.)

While I think Joyce captured a true picture of much of this movement, even those issues other than the quiverfull issue, I don’t think she was able to grasp the most heinous aspects of it, which are the ones that promote and perpetrate spiritual abuse. Since I don’t believe she is a Christian, this most important perspective was lost on her. As awful as other abuses may be, spiritually abusing someone by super-imposing your personal preferences onto their life and pronouncing it as “Biblical” because you say it is is what the Pharisees did and what Christ condemned. In fact, I don’t see Jesus condemning those who truly seek Him. I do see Him, however, blasting away at those who added to His words. And that brings me to the “Passionate Housewives” book.

As I pointed out in my review, so much of that book resonated with me because it is how I have lived my own life. I believe I have walked on the path the Lord has called for me to walk by doing so. However, that doesn’t make my calling the calling for all Christian woman. The question you have to ask yourself is one I posed in that review….can this teaching apply to all women in all cultures in all times and in all seasons of her life? If not, you cannot demand that everyone accepts it as “biblical” While there were many Scripture passages in the book, none of them proved this one point to be true. In fact, if you take the many personal examples that were used in that book along with the many things that are labeled as “biblical” by this movement, little of them can apply universally, making them not Bible-based but rather patriocentrist paradigm-based.

You stated that you believe that the home is the “woman’s glory.” I don’t see that concept in Scripture and nowhere is that stated in the texts you provided. Could you show me where that is taught? I do see women like the Proverbs 31 woman who was very productive and who was lauded for all she did. But I have no way of knowing exactly “how” she did it. I am certain her husband and children were a priority because they rose up and called her blessed but I cannot impose my 21st century notions of homemaking on her life to prove anything. I also think, if we are truly honest, as we read through the Gospels we see women doing all sorts of things that were outside of their homes. In most cases, their husbands and children are never mentioned so we don’t have any inkling of their family dynamics. For example, what about the women spoken of in Luke 8. “Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” Perhaps they were married and with their husbands and even children. Scripture doesn’t tell us. Perhaps they were single. We don’t know. We do know that they were providing for the expenses of the disciples. Could you say that their homes were their glory? Christian history often shows Christian women doing amazing things outside of their homes…..Amy Carmichael, Gladys Alyward, Elisabeth Elliott. Where these women blaspheming God’s name, as we are told in Passionate Housewives? Was the home their glory?

I also embrace and try to obey the commands in Titus 2 to teach the younger women, especially now that I am an older woman. When I see that I am to teach them to love their husbands and their children, I certainly don’t see any patriocentric notions there. For example, if I were to look at the lists that are provided by the patriocentrists for what men should be doing, I don’t see encouraging their ideals as truly loving a husband. Rather, we are to value and honor the men that the Lord has placed in our lives to encourage them in their individual callings and gifts, to practice all the one anothers of Scripture in our relationships with them. Many of the patriocentric ideals have little to nothing to do with one anothering. The same is true for our children. Placing children in boxes, especially our daughters, and telling them that our preferences are the only godly way of living as women is anything but expressing biblical love for them. I fact, I would be so bold to say that if we seek to squelch the spirit of God in the lives of our children, then we would be blaspheming God’s name. What does keeper at home mean? I think it means running our households well and that will look different for every woman in every family.

I would encourage you to listen to the two series of podcasts I did on the patricentric movement. I have gone into so much more detail on specifics and explain in more depth what I believe are the real sins of this movement, the sin of partiality and the sin of triviality.

I welcome any discussion of this and do not have the practice of not allowing comments that disagree with me so please feel free to respond!