Viewing God as male 'contributes to domestic abuse' says Church

The Church has not only failed at many points to address the processes that lead to domestic abuse but has - intentionally or unintentionally - reinforced abuse, failed to challenge abusers and intensified the suffering of survivors, the report said.

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The document highlights "misguided" or distorted versions of Christian belief which have contributed to the problem of domestic abuse in contrast to "life-giving" theology which could help the Church counter abuse.

These harmful beliefs include a conception of God derived from the Bible and the Christian tradition portraying divine power in "unhealthy and oppressive" ways, the report said.

There are particular problems in the attribution of violent actions and attitudes to God, chiefly but not solely in the Old Testament, which require "careful" interpretation, it said.

A view of our relationship with God in terms of domination and submission, along with uncritical use of masculine imagery to characterise God, can validate "overbearing and ultimately violent patterns of behaviour" in intimate relationships, it said.

Harmful beliefs can also affect the response of churches when domestic abuse comes to light or reaches a critical point, the report added.

A spirituality of "self-denial" is often linked to a theology in which the survivor is urged to forgive the perpetrator and not to take remedial action against him.

Such an approach is "deficient" in many respects, the report notes, and in the context of abuse, to make forgiveness the top priority seems "perverse" when the welfare and safety of the person being abused is at a risk.

The report entitled Responding to Domestic Abuse, Guidelines for Pastoral Responsibility, encourages churches to become places of safety for survivors of domestic abuse.

Pastoral workers should also raise awareness about other agencies, support services, resources and expertise to encourage collaboration, it said.

In a jointly-signed foreword, Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: "Domestic abuse in all its forms is contrary to the will of God and an affront to human dignity. All need to play their part in preventing or halting it."

Launching the report at a news conference in London, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, said he hoped the new guidelines would break down the silence and secrecy surrounding domestic abuse.

He said victims might well seek pastoral support in church congregations.

Commenting on the idea of harmful beliefs in God, he said: "I think of the experience, not least of some victims themselves who can be locked into a belief that they deserve the punishment that they receive and they link that with the theology that they hear in church where Christ is victim.

".. maybe even that they think their suffering has redemptive quality to it which justifies it in some way."

Domestic abuse affects one in five adults in the UK - one in four women and one in seven men - at some point, the report said.

One quarter of all assaults reported to the police are defined as domestic abuse and an average of two women a week are killed by their male partner or ex-partner in England and Wales.

The report was drawn up following a motion passed by General Synod in July 2004 calling for national guidelines and for dioceses to consider how they could work with other agencies and "speak out against the evil of domestic violence".