The Spin of Patriarchy

Have you heard of the Patriarchy movement? Patriarchy means “father-rule,” and this movement has some interesting theology and applications for the leadership roles of men. They call it “Biblical Patriarchy” because those who practice it believe that their understanding and application of Scripture is the true Christian way. Today’s Mortification of Spin is an extended Bully Pulpit addressing the dangers of this doctrine with special guest, Rachel Miller. Rachel has written about these dangers before on her blog, A Daughter of the Reformation. Here are two: What's Wrong with Biblical Patriarchy The Problem with Patriarchy, 50 Shades of Grey, and Authority and Submission Just this week, Rachel responded to a very sad article written by Vyckie Garrison on the abuses she experienced within a Patriarchal family. On the surface, Patriarchy families may look very harmless and even attractive. Everyone wears a smile, they tend to have a quiverfull of obedient children that they homeschool, and they present to you a formula for success. But what exactly does the husband and father’s “authority” entail? Should a husband be a mediator for the family, acting as a priest between them and the Lord? Is a college education wasted on daughters, because they are being raised to be homemakers? What’s the deal with stay-at-home daughters? Can women work outside of the home, alongside other men? What happens if you don’t have a happy disposition that reflects positively on your father or husband? Is a woman’s worth tied to the number of children she has? Do you believe that women are always prone to rebellion and satanic deceit and therefore need to be directed into submission? Is it a sin to educate your child through a different avenue than homeschool? And how does this all play out politically? These are all important questions that come up when you look into the doctrine of Patriarchy. We touch on many of them in the podcast today. With all the truly harmful problems that I see with this doctrine, at its core I see a faith that filters everything through women and men’s roles rather than Christ as he is clothed in the gospel. It seems to be about men and women rather than God. And unfortunately, I have read way too many accounts of women and children who walked away from Christianity when they escaped this lifestyle because they cannot separate this Patriarchal doctrine from the faith. Please listen to this podcast! Listen here.