Tried With Fire

I'm posting a followup at Theology for Girls  with a list of resources on Domestic Abuse. I've also added a tab at the top of my blog with the same list which I will be updating as time goes on. I also want to highlight how we define abuse. We may assume that abuse is conflict that requires compromise or one party acquiescing to the other. However, this is not the case. As I was compiling resources, I came across this concise and clear definition: Domestic abuse is persistent or recurrent behavior by an intimate partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological damage, or causes the victim to live in fear. It is not just marital conflict over particular issues (which can be conflict between equals). Abuse is about power. One party exerting power to control the other . [1]  But even in the face of this sin, God is greater. Here is a word of encouragement: The gospel does miraculously change lives, but this is not a "quick fix" for family violence. ...

Today, I am sharing a post at Theology for Girl s on domestic abuse in the church. It's something we don't like talking about, but it exists. Whether it's a large Christian organization that has made the headlines for its coverup or the heartbreaking story of one victim, abuse brings dishonor to the name of Christ. As I was reading Created in God's Image , the doctrine of imago dei has ramifications on how we treat one another. Even with the presence of sin, we are still God's image-bearers which should engender mutual respect. The more I considered the scriptural basis for imago dei, the more I wondered if we've left out this doctrine when it comes to abuse. We've made it a conflict between two human beings. But when you get to the root, one person is trying to stamp out the image of God in another. Thus abuse is also an attack against God Himself. This post is the result of those ruminations. Diane and I have discussed this subject off line, and I a...