There's a topic that the church rarely addresses because it challenges long-held beliefs and practices. That topic is...

Domestic abuse.

And the failure of some church to protect victims.

The statistics and stories are heartbreaking. Churches should be sanctuaries, yet when it comes to domestic abuse, this isn’t always the case. Despite Biblical teaching on love, care, and justice, domestic abuse remains a hushed reality in some Christian communities. Victims often face isolation, shame, and a lack of genuine support inside their faith communities, making it difficult for them to find safety and healing.

In this episode, Catherine is joined by Nancy Pearcey, an acclaimed scholar and author known for dissecting cultural issues from a Christian perspective. Nancy shares her insights on transforming churches into safe havens for women, particularly those experiencing domestic abuse. Her book The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes explores the damaging cultural narratives about men and calls for a more biblical understanding of masculinity.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

Eileen Gray's Case: The episode opens with the heart-wrenching story of Eileen Gray, illustrating some churches’ failure to support victims of abuse.

Financial Dependency of Churches: Catherine and Nancy discuss how financial dependencies can influence churches to prioritize abusers over victims.

35-Year Longitudinal Study: Nancy mentions a study that found fathers have a significant impact on their children’s faith, especially when they are positively involved.

Critique of Darwinian Theory: Nancy discusses how Darwinian theory and societal stereotypes have contributed to harmful views of masculinity.

Impact of Cultural Influences: The episode looks at cultural figures like Andrew Tate and Myron Gaines, who promote toxic masculinity ideals, and the need for a biblical response.

Biblical Understanding of Masculinity: Both Catherine and Nancy advocate for a healthy, biblical view of masculinity and firmly condemn any form of abuse.

Call to Action for Listeners: Listeners are encouraged to ensure their churches are safe havens and to leave any church that advises victims to stay in abusive relationships.

Our churches should be sanctuaries, not battlegrounds for justice. If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic abuse, or you’re passionate about creating safer church environments, don’t miss this compelling discussion.

FULL SHOW NOTES

NANCY’S BIO: Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes,as well as Love Thy Body,The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual."

EPISODE RESOURCES ON SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CHURCH:

EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser (March 8, 2022)

EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur’s Church Supported Convicted Child Abuser & Pedophile, Records Show (March 17, 2022)

MacArthur Ministry Employees Defend Child Abuser, Dismiss ‘Screeching’ Pushback (March 24, 2024)

Head of Counseling at John MacArthur’s School: Wife Should Endure Abuse Like Missionary Endures PersecutionApril 5, 2022Former Elder at John MacArthur’s Church Confronts Awful Patterns of Endangering Abuse Victims (Feb. 9, 2023) 

OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:

Ep. 122 Why Does Our Culture Hate Men?

Ep. 123 How Christianity Transformed the Status of Women



RESOURCES REFERENCED: 

The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychologyby Robert Wright

Men and Marriageby George Gilder

There's a topic that the church rarely addresses because it challenges long-held beliefs and practices. That topic is...
Domestic abuse.
And the failure of some church to protect victims.
The statistics and stories are heartbreaking. Churches should be sanctuaries, yet when it comes to domestic abuse, this isn’t always the case. Despite Biblical teaching on love, care, and justice, domestic abuse remains a hushed reality in some Christian communities. Victims often face isolation, shame, and a lack of genuine support inside their faith communities, making it difficult for them to find safety and healing.
In this episode, Catherine is joined by Nancy Pearcey, an acclaimed scholar and author known for dissecting cultural issues from a Christian perspective. Nancy shares her insights on transforming churches into safe havens for women, particularly those experiencing domestic abuse. Her book The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes explores the damaging cultural narratives about men and calls for a more biblical understanding of masculinity.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
Eileen Gray's Case: The episode opens with the heart-wrenching story of Eileen Gray, illustrating some churches’ failure to support victims of abuse.
Financial Dependency of Churches: Catherine and Nancy discuss how financial dependencies can influence churches to prioritize abusers over victims.
35-Year Longitudinal Study: Nancy mentions a study that found fathers have a significant impact on their children’s faith, especially when they are positively involved.
Critique of Darwinian Theory: Nancy discusses how Darwinian theory and societal stereotypes have contributed to harmful views of masculinity.
Impact of Cultural Influences: The episode looks at cultural figures like Andrew Tate and Myron Gaines, who promote toxic masculinity ideals, and the need for a biblical response.
Biblical Understanding of Masculinity: Both Catherine and Nancy advocate for a healthy, biblical view of masculinity and firmly condemn any form of abuse.
Call to Action for Listeners: Listeners are encouraged to ensure their churches are safe havens and to leave any church that advises victims to stay in abusive relationships.
Our churches should be sanctuaries, not battlegrounds for justice. If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic abuse, or you’re passionate about creating safer church environments, don’t miss this compelling discussion.
<a href="https://catherinesegars.com/2024/10/28/the-churchs-role-in-protecting-women-from-abuse/">FULL SHOW NOTES</a>
NANCY’S BIO: Nancy Pearcey is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734">The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Thy-Body-Answering-Questions/dp/0801075726">Love Thy Body</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Science-Christian-Natural-Philosophy/dp/0891077669">The Soul of Science</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Leonardo-Secular-Assault-Meaning/dp/1433669277">Saving Leonardo</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Truth-Principles-Secularism-Substitutes/dp/0781413087">Finding Truth</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Truth-Principles-Secularism-Substitutes/dp/0781413087">,</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Total-Truth-Study-Guide-Christianity/dp/1433502208">Total Truth</a>. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual."
EPISODE RESOURCES ON SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CHURCH:
<a href="https://julieroys.com/macarthur-shamed-excommunicated-mother-take-back-child-abuser/">EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser</a> (March 8, 2022)
<a href="https://julieroys.com/john-macarthur-church-supported-convicted-abuser-pedophile/">EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur’s Church Supported Convicted Child Abuser &amp; Pedophile, Records Show</a> (March 17, 2022)
<a href="https://julieroys.com/macarthur-ministry-staff-defend-child-abuser-dismiss-pushback/">MacArthur Ministry Employees Defend Child Abuser, Dismiss ‘Screeching’ Pushback</a> (March 24, 2024)
<a href="https://julieroys.com/head-counseling-john-macarthur-school-wife-endure-abuse/">Head of Counseling at John MacArthur’s School: Wife Should Endure Abuse Like Missionary Endures Persecution</a> <a href="https://julieroys.com/2022/04/05/">April 5, 2022</a><a href="https://julieroys.com/former-elder-at-john-macarthurs-church-confronts-awful-patterns-of-endangering-abuse-victims/">Former Elder at John MacArthur’s Church Confronts Awful Patterns of Endangering Abuse Victims</a> (Feb. 9, 2023) 
OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:
Ep. 122 <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/why-does-our-culture-hate-men-w-nancy-pearcey-ep-122">Why Does Our Culture Hate Men?</a>
Ep. 123 <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-christianity-transformed-the-status-of-women-w-nancy-pearcey-ep-123">How Christianity Transformed the Status of Women</a>
 
RESOURCES REFERENCED: 
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Animal-Science-Evolutionary-Psychology/dp/0679763996/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2EI42ZK51XDRE&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tN9YdouvKwKauLQxP9qB7082rCGtLJNKLgm_tcYJXZIpFKfX-v0YZ_JE5k7jTsA6NnRarCIf-utvvdZzo5l5efEmReqEusI0RKSbzi0OdUFLrCIfqk-jRpWilmh71cyCbCTVrgRbGSVZy-ATi9hrNZTOWM-Zw91ejE9nysW8GVDOHqW-RDupvk7LGycNQWHlxD37sjQGyASRYoeLa7VegabZgcFZqasyaZ1XUiVuDSg.e1EJ8X_TSUHMh4N2Xrb4q60xhiC_laf--DdnT3bluzE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=The+Moral+Animal&amp;qid=1729994760&amp;sprefix=the+moral+animal%2Caps%2C142&amp;sr=8-1">The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology</a> by Robert Wright
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Men-Marriage-George-Gilder/dp/0882899465/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3C8LZ9OMZSNQY&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vsJG7fJND_1zqvCkZoIutjCD09tqAtkCTaKmSSoC6ZFZ8dRkb9-NKUAKGZh9320rfeco-NDZBCar1bjdVw2NbkEAubzt7xzaqMttTnejUjldnviTrCVKFTS8xqxA-CGVHXDt-hK5mMqaytOFWSfo6Le9crkqhcWjRmpXJm98DHUb6nUdSoAvku_4hpbdWSZMlJiKRitArUMu6jY_JArGA5nBBEb4yyKb0pUbj0-60fk.jbZ7b7fKHsSgifJ_6VfXguM0L85DDFWXbcyzvLsxTwI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=Men+and+Marriage&amp;qid=1729994664&amp;sprefix=men+and+marriag%2Caps%2C139&amp;sr=8-4">Men and Marriage</a> by George Gilder

The Christian Parent, Crazy World podcast with Catherine Segars is dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world. Catherine is an expert in Christian Apologetics for parents and every episode helps moms and dads understand what is going on in our current culture and how Christians can and should respond.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
What to Do If Your Child Walks Away from the Faith
Can Our Words Change the Future?
Why Are So Many Kids Falling Away from The Faith?
13 Ways To Be a Better Parent This Year
5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Gen Z
What Critical Foundation Do Many Parents Miss When Discipling Their Kids?
How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview 
Hope and Strategy for Parents of Prodigal Children

Want to read some of Catherine's most popular Christian parenting articles? Check them out here: https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/

The Christian Parent, Crazy World podcast with Catherine Segars is dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world. Catherine is an expert in Christian Apologetics for parents and every episode helps moms and dads understand what is going on in our current culture and how Christians can and should respond.
Topics covered on this podcast include:
<ul>
<li>What to Do If Your Child Walks Away from the Faith</li>
<li>Can Our Words Change the Future?</li>
<li>Why Are So Many Kids Falling Away from The Faith?</li>
<li>13 Ways To Be a Better Parent This Year</li>
<li>5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Gen Z</li>
<li>What Critical Foundation Do Many Parents Miss When Discipling Their Kids?</li>
<li>How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview </li>
<li>Hope and Strategy for Parents of Prodigal Children</li>
</ul>
Want to read some of Catherine's most popular Christian parenting articles? Check them out here: https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/

Christian Parent, Crazy World is a podcast dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world.

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