Faith

It’s time to talk about how Australia’s problem with domestic and family violence affects faith communities. It’s also time to talk about how Australia’s faith communities affect domestic and family violence. 

Christian faith guides many of us on how to love and care for others. It can give strength to challenge perpetrators and compassion to support survivors.

We need more faith-filled Christians who will refuse to be bystanders to domestic and family violence:

• Who will name abuse as abuse.
• Who will repent of victim-blaming.
• Who will challenge unequal gender roles.
• And who will be faithful leaders in lasting culture change.

Faith communities can play a key role in ending violence against women. Will yours be a roadblock or a resource?

In this section:

• Domestic and family violence: a gendered problem
  • Why is this resource not gender-neutral?
  • Violence - a 'male' phenomenon
• Why preventing domestic and family violence is a key faith issue
  • The key role of leaders
• Prevalence within the Australian church
  • The evidence of abuse in churches
  • Why we need more research
• What are denominations doing?
  • Anglican Church
  • Catholic Church
  • Presbyterian Church
  • Uniting Church
  • Baptist Church
  • Lutheran Church
  • Australian Christian Churches
  • Greek Orthodox Church
  • Churches of Christ
  • Christadelphian
• The Bible on…
  • Violence against women
  • Power
  • Justice
  • Repentance
  • Submission and ‘headship’ in marriage
  • Separation and divorce
  • Forgiveness
  • Healing
• Women, inequality and the Church
  • Women and gender roles in the Bible
  • Gender dynamics in the church
• Abuser-friendly church cultures
  • Six failings of the church
• Churches as agents of change
  • Modelling equality and respect at church
  • How do we challenge gender inequality in churches?