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No Place for Abuse: Biblical & Practical Resources to Counteract Domestic Violence

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This book is a MUST HAVE. You can be free from abuse!!
If you have been looking for a book that speaks on abuse and what God says about it, look no further. This is an excellent book, a resource for every library. This book is a helpful tool for an abused woman who finds herself in an abusive relationship but feels trapped due to traditional teachings on marriage and family. What does God say about it? It will show her how clearly the Lord is vehemently opposed to abuse and what she can do about it. This book is invaluable in the hands of leaders in the church and lay people who find themselves face to face with abuse, whether it be a friend or relative or church member. You can be instrumental in ministering hope and healing for those involved in such relationships. I also recommend with five stars "The Verbal Abusive Relationship: how to recognize it and how to respond" by Patricia Evans. Another fantastic book that gives an inside window view of the day in the life of a marriage suffering with abuse and real helps for those hurting.

In this already venerated work, Catherine Clark Kroger and Nancy Nason-Clark embark on a research-supported analysis and exploration into the widespread abuse of women existing both in and out of the evangelical Christian Church.

This book is not specifically written for abused women. Instead, it is directed toward Christian pastors and laypeople willing to increase their awareness of, and provide support to, abuse victims around the world. The global prevalence of abuse and violence against females is surveyed throughout the text, along with a concluding chapter on our "global responsibility" to suffering women.

In its scope, a reader will learn 59% of female homicides occur by the hand of an intimate partner (in Zimbabwe); that 18% of women seek emergency care because of domestic violence (in Papua New Guinea); and that (in Cambodia) 50% of women report sustained injuries due to spousal abuse. In addition, the authors address female circumcision, foot-binding, dowries, and other important global issues.

A useful resource, this book provides insight into the dynamics of abuse: cycles of violence, why women remain in dangerous environments, the personal characteristics of the abusive man, etc. Useful tools for Christian counselors and pastors are specified, for instance, "Questions to Ask Yourself When Responding to an Abused Woman," and checklists such as "How Caring is My Congregation" and "Unhealthy [Church] Responses [to Abused Women]," are interspersed within the chapters.

One's heart and stomach will turn while reading these pages, endeavoring to maintain the sentiment of Philippians 4:8 "...whatever is...noble,...right,...pure,...lovely,...admirable,...excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things" while still addressing this troublesome issue. Vignettes of women experiencing physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their husbands offer more than a glance at the most disturbing reality of violence and serve to provide the reader deep awareness, sympathy, shock and motivation to promote change.

Critiques of the Church are present throughout, illustrating instances where churches have acted with neglect and evil: a Bible college dismissing a woman who was beaten in public by her husband, a parish condemning the divorce of a woman who was left for dead in the woods after a third murder attempt, a woman beaten with a metal tricycle in her sleep, a husband trying to turn his wife into a prostitute (and "despite her frequent pleas" she was encouraged to endure), one vignette where a pastor rapes a parishioner, and there are many more.

To balance, the text provides several examples of ministries that provide excellent support and care for abused women, churches that hold up women through long periods of need.
In addition, the authors do well to provide a biblically solid position against abuse, and correct several misuses of Scripture including 1 Peter 3:1-6, "...For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master..." which is often misused to the travail of women.
The greatest asset of this book is its solid research foundation, for all points are referenced fittingly, and I

commend this text for lacking any breaks in logic, or unsupported speculations. In the end, this scripturally sound book is disquieting, eye-opening, and persistently optimistic about reform and an improved future for women worldwide.

FInal Note: Telephone and Online Counseling might be a good way of helping hurting women. To learn how to provide telephone and online counseling, try this very well prepared book: The Therapist's Clinical Guide to Online Counseling and Telephone Counseling: The Definitive Training Guide for Clinical Practice

I teach a distance learning course about family violence and this is the required reading for my course. The students are required to write a paper on this book, and usually their response includes that they can't believe that spousal abuse happens in the church.

Christians can easily hide abuse that happens within the home. We can easily put on our "Sunday face" when we're around our church family, but at home, it's a different story. If you work in any ministry within the church, I would recommend that you read this book. What I like about this book is that it also has an international focus - it's not just focused on the U.S. So, even if you're a missionary in another country, this is a good read for you too. This will help you to understand the problem and cycle of spousal abuse and how you can help those in the midst of it.

I teach on the college level on the topic of The Biblical Role of Men and Women. I found this and the other books by Catherin Clark Kroeger to be excellent! How in the world did The Prince of Peace's followers ever think that violence was approved by Jesus Christ? He never did! This book should be made available to every pastor, teenager and young engaged couple! A must read!

This powerful book explores an often hidden component of violence against women: namely, its awareness among dominant groups. Using specific statistical data and an array of first-person narratives from abused women around the world, the book helps readers to understand the necessity of 1) realizing the extent of abuse against women that occurs in our world (across racial lines, class lines, religious lines and geographical lines, the statistics are harrowingly similar) and 2) equips readers with the tools to help be conduits for healing and wholeness by speaking up to condemn abuse within our churches and communities, and also by validating hurting women.

This book is, indeed, essential reading.

No Place for Abuse: Biblical & Practical Resources to Counteract Domestic Violence explains the biblical argument condemning violence and links these to circumstances of domestic violence worldwide, offering an updated edition that offers ten more years of listening to women's experiences around the world. The result is a fine survey offering guidelines for those wanting to respond to victim needs, and a powerful pick for any spirituality or social issues collection.

No Place For Abuse: Biblical And Practical Resources To Counteract Domestic Violence by Catherine Clark Kroeger and Nancy Nason-Clark an eye-opening read. I have a read some books lately that make me shake my head and my mouth hang open wide. I am astonished by statistics and the things going on in the world around me that I know nothing about. I've always known about domestic violence, have lived it myself as a child and young adult. But the statistics make me flabbergasted. The personal accounts of violence in this book are heard to read, but I think this is an important book with a lot of great resources.