Religious Commitment, Peace Activism, and Marital Violence in Quaker Families

Abstract

Previous research using affiliation as a measure of religious influence suggests a lack of relationship between religion and marital violence. However, religious commitment, another measure of religious influence, is found in the present study of 290 Quaker spouses to differentiate levels of both communication and physical violence for both wives and husbands. High levels of peace activism are associated with low levels of marital violence for wives but with high levels for husbands, which suggests that commitment to Quaker principles is confounded with traditional norms of nonaggressiveness for Quaker wives and male aggressiveness for Quaker husbands. These findings suggest that (a) commitment, not affiliation, is the more appropriate indicator of religious influence and (b) there are important gender-related differences in the meanings attached to religious experience and violence. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1986. Copyright © 1986 by the National Council on Family Relations) Religious Beliefs Religion Religious Factors Partner Violence Violence Against Women Activist Movement Domestic Violence Causes Domestic Violence Offender Physical Aggression Aggression Causes Adult Aggression Adult Female Adult Male Adult Offender Adult Violence Female Aggression Female Offender Female Violence Male Aggression Male Offender Male Violence Gender Differences Spouse Abuse Offender Spouse Abuse Causes 05-05