Review of Quiverfull, Part Two

Chapters 11-19 of Kathryn Joyce's Quiverfull, otherwise referred to as Part Two: Mothers, is perhaps even more disturbing than Part One: Wives. While "Wives" focuses more on an overview of the movement's ideology, "Mothers" is decidedly more character driven. Here, readers are introduced (or, in my case, re-introduced) to a crazy cast of Quiverfullin' characters, as well as "celebrities" within the movement. For instance, some of our "friends" from the documentary The Monstrous Regiment of Women, including Emily Gunn, Jennie Chancey, Stacy McDonald, Carmon Freidrich, and Mary Pride make an appearance or two in the pages of these nine chapters whose ominous-sounding titles alone are enough to re-incite the women's lib movement and possibly even propel a few of us to take to the streets on behalf of the cause. In addition, Joyce rightfully and articulately rips on the grande dames of anti-feminism, Phyllis Schlafly and F. Carolyn Graglia. This section tackles the two sacred cows of the American fundamentalist movement-- superfluous procreation and anti-abortion activism. Most importantly, Joyce delves into the politics of Quiverfull ideology.



As for the scary titles, the little list of "gems" is as follows:

Ch. 11-- "Be Fruitful and Multiply"

Ch. 12-- "The Bible and Birth Control"

Ch. 13-- "Trust and Obey"

Ch. 14-- "Blessed Arrows"

Ch. 15-- "The Natural Family"

Ch. 16-- "Return to Patriarchy"

Ch. 17-- "Godly Seeds"

Ch. 18-- "Demographic Winter"

Ch. 19-- "Exiting the Movement"

(Ominous, huh?)

Anyway, Chapter 11's title is pretty self-explanatory. Joyce discusses how movement matriarchs such as Nancy Campbell, a mother of six and grandmother of several more, encourage their younger counterparts to, well, be fruitful and multiply. In Chapter 12, Joyce interviews the late Charles Provan, a western Pennsylvania printer, Holocaust denier, anti-contraception and anti-abortion activist, and father of 10 before his death in 2007. Folks, this guy had some really whacked-out views that you just have to read about to believe. Chapter 13 is equally creepy, for it contains the word "obey"-- the ultimate four-letter word as far as I'm concerned, especially when directed toward women. Unlucky 13 outlines the tenets of Biblical womanhood and marriage, which Quiverfullers view in completely legalistic terms. In fact, female adherents tell worldly women that they are selfish and silly for believing in the notion of romance. Joyce also uses this chapter to discuss the sad tale of America's most infamous Quiverfuller, Andrea Yates, the Texas mother of five who drowned her babies in the bathtub after succumbing to mental illness and the patriarchial, fire-and-brimstone teachings of street preacher Michael Woroniecki. (Side note: I'm now on a mission to dispel all prevailing cultural myths about women from Texas. LOL!) Things really take a dark turn, however, in Chapter 14 in which Joyce discusses the concept of spiritual warfare, literal and metaphorical. Metaphorically speaking, these folks base their unmitigated breeding practices on a particular passage from the Book of Psalms. In the literal sense, they believe that a real army of Christian warriors can defeat intruders and infidels in actual battle. Not surprisingly, they wholly support U.S. involvement in the various Middle Eastern wars. (I'm going to stop myself here, because this makes me really mad-- and I'm actually having a pretty good day so far today.) Of course, the perceived "infidels" are Muslims. Chapter 15 continues on the themes discussed in the previous chapter. By far, the most disturbing aspect of the natural family movement is that it's also a natalist, or white supremacist, movement. In other words, a large number of followers want to create a master race of pure, white Christians. (Again, I just can't go there today.) I will say this, though: I'm personally opposed to abortion, but it appears to me that a number of pro-life, anti-abortion Quiverfullers have inherently racist, xenophobic leanings. Chapters 16 and 17 offer more of the same, further outlining the movement's rhetoric. Chapter 16 focuses mainly on homeschooling (which I oppose for a number of reasons) and homechurching. Homechurching?! Okay, what that is is a movement in which the strictest pro-patriarchy Christians hold church services in their homes because they are so disillusioned with the "liberal" teachings of existing churches in their areas. Quite honestly, I think this is simply a way to further isolate the women from the "secular" world. As for the next chapter, it contains a hodgepodge of political mumbo-jumbo, mainly an overview of the belief that women should not be allowed to hold public office or even vote. (Yeah, I'm not touching that one right now!) Things get really interesting in Chapter 18, a discussion of the belief that white, predominantly Christian populations are dying out and that non-white, non-Christian ones are rising up. And, yes, this aspect is really popular with ultra-conservative ideologues right now. When Quiverfullers evangelize to the "lost masses" vis-a-vis the blogosphere (sigh...), they milk this belief for all it's worth. Another thing that really gets my Texas up is the fact that the movement's most vocal proselytizers look to their conservative allies in Israel. I say this 'gets my Texas up,' since it is U.S. support of Israel that is perpetuating all this terrorism. (Disclaimer: I am by no means an anti-Semite. I sincerely believe that most Jews, as well as persons of all faiths, want world peace. Just trying to fan the flames of potential controversy there, people!) Finally, Chapter 19 broaches the most horrifying subject matter of all: what happens if a woman tries to leave the movement. One such brave soul, former homeschoolin' warrior and now strident feminist blogger Cheryl Lindsey Seelhoff, was left destitute when she divorced her abusive husband and it was disclosed that she had an affair with the man she is now happily married to. (Abuse of women and children is an oft-examined topic throughout this book.) Seelhoff and her 11 children were ostracized and left with virtually nothing. Today, Ms. Seelhoff is a highly successful messenger of the feminist blog movement. (Blog on, honey!) Of course, Seelhoff's story has a relatively happy ending. Many others who've tried to flee the clutches of "biblical" patriarchy have not been so lucky. To conclude, "Mothers" is a simultaneously frightening and fascinating foray into this movement with little practical appeal but a curiously large number of followers. Joyce succeeds in being both blunt and compassionate in this section. As is the case with her entire book, Joyce's indefatigable quest for knowledge and non-judgmental desire to learn about an American sub-culture with beliefs far, far removed from her own is the real triumph of Part Two of Quiverfull.

Alright, all that having been said, I will discuss Part Three: Daughters in tomorrow's post. Trust me, y'all, the freakiest stuff is still yet to come!

Review of Quiverfull, Part One

A while back, I read feminist scholar Kathryn Joyce's expose on an American fundamentalist religious movement, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement (2009, Beacon Press). Well, folks, I just had to re-read this book, because while the content is highly disturbing, it's also endlessly fascinating. Furthermore, I've recently read a number of news stories that seem to suggest that this movement is even more prevalent than we realize. One reason for this is the popularity of reality TV programs such as 18 Kids and Counting... in which the Duggar family of Arkansas takes viewers through the day-to-day life of a super-sized, uber-religious clan. (According to author Joyce, the Duggars are a very idealized version of participants in the Quiverfull lifestyle through which followers subscribe to Biblical literalism and allow God to plan their families. That is, while the Duggars are financially well-off, most Quiverfullers live a hand-to-mouth existence.)



As for the book itself, it is divided into three sections that each outline the three feminine roles that this hardship-filled lifestyle prescribes: wife, mother, and daughter. Anything outside these roles is regarded as a sinful lifestyle. Part One: Wives is a harrowing look inside the largely dismal existence of a "perfect" (read: submissive; unquestioning) Quiverfull wife. In chapters 1-10, Joyce looks deep inside Quiverfull marriage and the drudgery, sadness, and loneliness that such an arrangement entails. In this first installment (there will be three altogether) of my book review series, I will outline Joyce's research and observations about Quiverfull wives and then provide my own opinions and commentary. (Warning: The following description is not for the squeamish.)

In the first chapter, "Massachusetts Hope," Joyce discusses a gathering of strident Quiverfullers that took place near Plymouth Rock a couple years ago. The location of this event is no accident, for adherents want to turn America back to its colonial state, meaning that if these post-modern Puritans got their way, the U.S. Constitution would become null and void, and the institution of slavery would once again be legal. And it only gets scarier from there. Chapters 2 ("The Church Comes Home"), 3 ("The Men Who Would Be Kings"), and 4 ("The New Reformation") outline the various aspects and mandates of patriarchy. In short, women have zero rights within this movement. For example, these chapters tell horror stories of how Quiverfull family patriarchs forbid wives from driving, working, and using any form of contraception. In addition, children must absolutely be homeschooled, and public schools are deemed as "evil institutions." Chapters 5 and 6 ("Titus 2: Submission and War" and "Titus 2 in Tennessee," respectively) are perhaps the most disturbing in this entire section. Here, Joyce spends some quality time at an extreme Christian women's retreat at which participants follow the guidelines of Biblical womanhood that they believe are set forth by the text of Titus 2. In one part, Joyce discusses emotional church services in which women, many of whom already have several children, ball about not being able to conceive more. Y'know, I would be thrilled if my God blessed me with one healthy, well-adjusted, and basically happy child, but that's just me. (Note to self: If ever driving through rural Tennessee, don't stop at any remote cabins in heavily wooded areas.) One thing that really freaked me out is the fact that women with fertility and/or health problems are basically viewed as ungodly, and movement matriarchs tell young women that if they're too sick have babies, then they should remain single for life. (Don't even get me started about what they think of feminists, lesbians, and women who are childless by choice!) In both my and Joyce's opinion, the most frightening thing of all is that these women offer up no real reason for being part of this movement other than literal interpretation of scripture that is most likely born out of fear and gullibility. Chapter 7, entitled "No Greater Joy," details the movement's ideology regarding childbearing. The main idea here is that the more you breed, the closer you are to God. While I love children and want them someday, I view them as tiny human beings as opposed to trophies. Next, Chapter 8, "Submission and Abuse," details the really dark side of the movement. Women who have rebelled in the form of getting jobs, using birth control, and/or being unfaithful are punished severely, either through spousal abuse, ostracism from their churches, and often a combination of the two. I was horrified by Chapter 9-- "The Small World of Vision Forum"-- a reference to the national headquarters of Quiverfull thought and political policy. And what a small world it is! Vision Forum, a sort-of Vatican of Reformed Protestantism, dictates that women of the movement should not pursue careers or college educations (something I can't even begin to fathom!), publicly speak ill of their husbands, and, worst of all, associate with women living in the "material world." Finally, Chapter 10, "Life in the Garden," outlines the way in which females, according to patriarchs, are chaste, pristine beings and are to remain that way-- or else! Of course, there's an explicit reference to the Adam and Eve story here. Believers argue that when Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge and Good and Evil (after being tempted by Satan-- a male entity-- in the form of a serpent, mind you), sin entered the world. (Apparently, in the minds of these folks, attaining knowledge is the worst sin a woman can commit.) Also, Quiverfullers see women as offshoots of men, not fully formed beings in their own right. Ultimately, Joyce just feels sorry for these women, as do I. How tragic to be told from a young age that there is only one way to live life, and if you question that, you're evil! Overall, Joyce strives to be compassionate and unbiased toward these gals, and her tone throughout the book is anything but contemptuous. More importantly, Joyce really did her homework while writing this book, and it is arguably one of the most well-researched pieces of social commentary I've ever read.

If Part One is terrifying, it is nothing compared to Part Two: Mothers. This section expounds upon "Wives" in a number of ways. Accordingly, I will discuss it in tomorrow's post.

Op-Ed Concept Update

Alright, in yesterday's post, I mentioned that I'm working on my latest op-ed, which I hope to have published within the next couple weeks. Well, I'm currently in the process of mulling over possible concepts for the subject matter of the would-be editorial. While it will definitely cover some aspect of the Obama presidency, I still have no idea as to exactly what I'll write about this time. I'm debating whether to discuss foreign or domestic affairs or a combination of both. Either way, I'm going to have to do lots of research in order to make the piece as credible and professional a source as possible. Therefore, I need to get started on getting this thing from the notebook to the op-ed page. As always, I will display the finished product here for my readers' perusal, entertainment, and possible enlightenment (LOL!).

I swear!

Wow! There's lots of crazy stuff going on in politics as we speak. Accordingly, I will discuss as much of it as possible, as well as offer my opinions on it, right here. I swear, folks, most of these stories-- especially Rudy Giuliani's latest 9/11-related gaffe-- are doozies. So, sit back and let me regale y'all with the latest news and my corresponding views on it.

For starters, former NYC mayor and one-time Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is now claiming that no domestic terrorist attacks occurred during the Bush administration. WTF?! Uh, Rudy, what exactly do you call 9/11? Y'know, Joe Biden was right-- Giuliani can't say a single sentence without using the phrase "9/11." And, speaking of the veep, his mother, Jean Biden, passed away this week at age 92. My condolences to the Biden family. Also, a just-released video has revealed that the CIA bomber has links to Pakistan's division of the Taliban. I believe that, just as he handled the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing promptly and intelligently, President Obama will see to it that this issue is dealt with properly.

And that brings me to a discussion of foreign affairs. The situation in Yemen is worsening. I think the Obama administration will also deal with that accordingly. I also believe that the president understands that Pakistan and Yemen as opposed to Iraq and Afghanistan are the real "hot spots" right now. Of course, I'll continue to discuss this news item as I learn more about it and the story develops further. Most importantly, I'm confident that President Obama will not allow our current predicament to devolve into WWIII. (To be perfectly honest with y'all, it looks as though the prez will have better luck with Yemen than he will with health care, as we will more than likely not wind up having a public option after all. Dang-blasted Congressional Repubs! Oh, well, I guess you can't win 'em all.)

(Oh, a little aside: did y'all hear about Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter Robinson's wife's sex scandal? Well, if not, what happened is that Robinson's 60-year-old wife, Iris (a prominent lawmaker in her own right), had a romantic tryst with a man nearly 40 years her junior. I can just hear pundits the world over having fun with this one. I'm feeling a Daily Show blurb, complete with that Simon and Garfunkle song from the The Graduate soundtrack playing in the background, coming on.)

Lastly, in Ashleyverse news, it's still very January-ish in my lil' neck of the woods, but a warming trend is scheduled for early this coming week. In addition, I'm conducting research and taking notes for my next newspaper op-ed column. (Further details forthcoming.) Other than that, I'm just trying to enjoy this final wintry weekend before I return to the old grindstone.

Another Very January-ish Day

Okay, the weather forecast for today is pretty much the same as it was for yesterday: downright yucky and, well, just plain January-ish. Of course, we still have February-- a month I only like because my birthday's in it!-- to look forward to. Then again, curling up with a good book and a hot cup of coffee (when you can) isn't exactly the worst thing in the world. Speaking of which, I was supposed to attend the annual learning disabilities/teacher-tutor-training meeting at work this morning, but it got cancelled (yay!). I suppose that's one positive way to view nasty winter days: if everything gets cancelled or shut down due to the weather, you have a built-in excuse to be lazy. And, trust me, y'all-- I'm taking full advantage of this opportunity, for it's back to the old grindstone (i.e. school and work) in the Ashleyverse next week. That said, I'm really looking forward to spring and all its wonderful promises this year. Until next time, namaste, y'all!

An Extremely Wintry Afternoon in the Ashleyverse

Well, folks, it's a nasty, snowy, wintry afternoon in the Ashleyverse. On days like today, I wish I was somewhere almost perpetually warm and sunny, like California or Texas. Oh, well, I reckon I'll more than likely end up in one of those two places before it's all said and done, so I just need to live in the moment and try to enjoy the natural beauty of Illinois winters. LOL! After all, it could be a lot worse.

Update on My Ongoing Attempts to be a "Domestic Goddess"-- Plus a Little Unsolicited Commentary on the Latest "Celebrity" Death

Alright, folks, I've made a bit more headway in terms of becoming more domesticated. For the past couple days, I've been using these last vestiges of "free time" before I go back to school and work to tidy up around the house. I'm not going to lie to y'all-- it feels really good to clean up. I think that perhaps I've finally gotten past the crazy notion that only repressed, uber-conservative, fundamentally religious women actually enjoy housework. Don't get me wrong, though; I'm still very much a feminist. However, I do want my personal space to reflect who I truly am: a competent, hard-working, disciplined, and intelligent 30-year-old woman of this promising decade that has just begun. On a side note, I would like to find a fella to accompany me on this life's journey, so I think it would behoove me to exhibit the aforementioned qualities.

On a whole other topic, yet another celebutante has passed away. Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson family fortune died at-- gasp!-- age 30, most likely due to complications from diabetes. In addition to being mourned by her family, Casey is also sadly missed by friends, including fellow socialite Paris Hilton and supposed fiancee, reality TV "star" Tila Tequila. Y'know, you would think that with everything they've been given in life, as well as access to the best medical care in the world, these gals would take better care of themselves. As for the Tila Tequila part of this, well, I saw that girl on Jimmy Kimmel Live a while back, and she ain't necessarily the brightest thing. So, I doubt she was really all that intuned with Casey's well-being, either, and I'm sure that given their fast-paced lifestyle, Casey probably wasn't taking terribly great care of herself prior to her premature death. Hopefully, what happened to Casey and Brittany Murphy will serve as a wake-up call to the up-and-coming generation of young women. Ladies, if you want an awesome, rockin' life, y'all have to take care of yourselves-- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!