Untwisting Scriptures Associated with the Patriarchal Movement
I want to share a resource with you that is like no other resource I have found: A book titled Untwisting Scriptures by Rebecca Davis. It addresses an extreme form of Spiritual Abuse.
I have long experienced symptoms of someone who lived in a cult. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized I had those symptoms because I actually grew up in a cult. There is something known as the “Patriarchal Movement” that had its origins in a sub-sect of the homeschool movement. Names like Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard are typically associated with this sect, as well as something called, “Quiverfull.”
This sect essentially gives fathers license to turn their families into mini-cults (depending on how extreme the father chose to take the teaching). It taught that women should ideally always remain under the authority of a man, either their father or husband. Children and wives were meant to fulfill the vision of their father. Again, depending on how extreme the father chose to take these teachings, could result in genuine oppression, abuse, and slavery—which is what happened in my case.
Little study has been conducted on this cult, but as I and many others have become adults, escaped, and have written about our experiences, it’s safe to say that it is—indeed—a cult and those still in the system are the subject of a fierce and terrifying mind control. Worse still, the women are often discouraged from education and barred from having any real jobs. This makes it nearly impossible for them to leave, as they would have no resources.
But perhaps the worst part is, all of this coercion, oppression, isolation, and enslavement is supported by the Bible, using the name of god. At least that is the claim of the leaders—both the higher-ups and the small cult leaders known as fathers. I left this world when I was twenty-six, and stayed in it so long because the Bible and god were used to create enough fear about what would happen if I left.
Eventually, I was able to get out, but I know many women and men who were not as lucky. Many women marry to get away from their parents, only to find themselves in abusive marriages.
Because very little study has been conducted on this cult, there aren’t that many resources for recovery. I’ve found the most help in reading material for recovery from other sorts of cults—resonating with the recovery process, the confusion, and the disorientation.
However, I discovered one resource in the past month, and I will review it here, for those looking for a little light on this subject. It’s written by Rebecca Davis: Untwisting Scriptures: Patriarchy and Authority Part 2:
Pros:
Breaks down the scripture used to support this teaching (i.e. “Children obey your parents in the Lord.”) She reveals the context of these verses to share a possible alternate description from the one we were taught. She also shares snippets of writings and teachings from this movement's main teachers, revealing the fantastic leaps they often make to force the Bible to say what they want it to say. She highlights places they deliberately twisted scripture to support their own agendas.
I greatly wish I would have had this resource when I was wrestling with what I found in the Bible against the indoctrination I received most of my life.
A Caution:
She doesn’t seem to take into account trauma bonds and the damaging impact of mind control. She pleads with readers to “return” to the real Jesus, though the Jesus, god, and bible taught in these spaces were never real. How can you “return” if you never had it to begin with? People who left this world and no longer claim any affiliation to Christianity often were never affiliated with it to begin with. They didn’t “leave the faith.” They were never allowed to have a faith of their own. The book is very evangelical and might trigger some with the evangelical language.
However, the book is extremely helpful for understanding where logic breaks down and where the teaching is inaccurate when it tries to claim biblical truth.
In conclusion, if you’re recovering from this cult, or are still in it trying to leave, I’d recommend this book with a grain of salt. You are not at fault for how you were manipulated. You are worth fighting for, reclaiming your identity, and experiencing freedom. This book will help untwist the scriptures that were, indeed, used to keep you in bondage. I recommend reading alongside a book like Betrayal Bond by Patrick Carnes.
Katherine Spearing is the founder of Tears of Eden and the host of the Uncertain podcast
Photo by John Salvino on Unsplash