Review of Quiverfull, Part Three

Today I will conclude my three-part investigative report of Quiverfull. Part Three: Daughters consists of only one chapter-- 20: Victory Through Daughters-- but it is loaded, to say the very least. As was the case with my discussions/reviews of the previous two sections of the book, this one could easily become tangential, so I will attempt to keep my criticism and opining as concise as possible.

Where to begin with concisely opining (or opining concisely, perhaps?) about this "loaded" chapter? Well, for starters, we're introduced to two of Vision Forum's foremost patriarchs-- Doug Phillips and Geoffrey Botkin. Both Phillips and Botkin have an archaic, disgusting vision for their daughters: eternal servitude to the men in their lives. (Actually, other aspects of these "gentlemens'" (and I use that term very loosely!) ideology is discussed throughout the entire book.) Botkin, for example, has two daughters in their early twenties, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth, whom he parades around the country at various Quiverfull conferences. Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin also have a Web site on which they instruct girls to dress modestly (meaning Victorian ruffles and petticoats and-- gasp!-- corsets), not go to college or pursue careers, obey their fathers and future husbands, only read literature and listen to music their parents approve of, and, worst of all, submit to all the men in their lives, including younger brothers. This final list item, frankly, cracks me up. In addition, the pious pair of sisters releases a series of books and CDs in and on which they epouse their extreme religious views. Lastly, they pose for Vision Forum catalogues that offer up images of "ideal" biblical women. By "ideal," I mean pretty in a fragile, damsel-in-distress way. (That ain't me, babe!) Kathryn Joyce is actually too kind to the Botkin sisters. Based on what I've read, they sound like brainwashed pricks. (Aside: This is one of the perils of homeschooling. Parents within the Christian patriarchy movement teach their children whatever they want to, which usually isn't much other than how to survive within the narrow perimeters of the movement itself. This is especially true when it comes to the so-called education of girls.) Secondly, Vision Forum patriarchs have decreed that unmarried daughters remain at home until they are wed to a family-approved suitor. A couple "gets to know each other" through courtship, not dating, and premarital sex is absolutely forbidden. If, Heaven forbid, a girl becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she is ostracized. (Oh, the glorious irony and hypocrisy!) Marriage in the movement is, of course, a legalistic arrangement/business deal, and wives, mothers, daughters have no real rights and are severely chastised for aspiring to any other life or deviating from these three roles. In other words, these women are property, viewed by their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons as the intellectual equivalent of livestock. Thirdly, since Quiverfull females are essentially indoctrinated to be baby-makin' machines, patriarchs hold annual ceremonies during which they pray over baby girls' reproductive organs. This brings me to my final point about Ch. 20. Fathers and daughters of the movement regularly attend these functions called "purity balls." The focal point at these warped celebrations with rather incestuous overtones is the virginity of daughters. Enough said about that!

And now for some final thoughts...

Kathryn Joyce's Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement is an excellent book that details a religious movement that has garnered quite a bit of media attention lately. While I believe it is the right of every individual to choose his or her lifestyle, I also feel that if Quiverfullers gain too much power on the mainstream American political scene, this country would be on the proverbial slippery slope/lemming roll toward becoming a theocracy. Fortunately, it appears that this will remain too much of a fringe movement for that to ever happen. The main reason is that America has always been a progressive society, and the Quiverfull belief system is just way too extreme to really take hold in a major way. Therefore, I recommend that readers regard this book's subject matter as a cautionary tale of sorts about what happens when there is no separation of church and state. In terms of genre, I would classify it as a sci-fi expose in which the plotlines and characters happen to be real. We can all breathe a deep sigh of relief that most of us don't want this reality.