Family Violence: Reclaiming a Theology of Nonviolence Book

Introduction     1
The Alarming Reality     3
My Social Context     6
The Mennonite Theology of Nonviolence     7
Family Violence-The Image of a Tree     8
Examining the Leaves: Naming the Problem     11
Guiding Questions     14
Nonviolence as a Tool     15
Definitions and Concepts: Violence and Nonviolence     17
Definition of Family Violence     20
The Leaves: Forms of Family Violence     21
The Concept of Family     23
The Roots of Violence     25
A Theology of Nonviolence     26
Improving the Quality of Life in the Family     30
Signs of Violence Present in Us     31
The Role of the Church     33
Signs of Despair and Signs of Hope     34
Branches That Connect: Some Dimensions of the Problem     37
A Common Story     37
Social Analysis     39
The Cultural Factor of Patriarchy     40
Social and Economic Factors     43
Emotional Factors: The Role of Anger and Lack of Self-Control     49
Psychological and Emotional Factors     50
Child Abuse     52
Caring for theFamily     56
Striving for Change: A Hopeful Horizon     62
Signs of Hope     66
Nutrients within the Trunk: Claiming a Theology of Nonviolence from Mennonite Peace Theology     70
A Voiceless Voice, Still in the Margin     70
The Anabaptist Movement     72
The Mennonites in North America     74
The Shortcomings of the Nonviolence Movement     81
Working with a Feminist Perspective on Scripture     83
Connections between the Teachings in Scripture and Family Violence     87
Identifying the Strength of Our Theology     96
Signs of Hope     97
Exposing the Roots: In Search of a Healthier Tree     99
Confession of Reality     100
The Normalization of Violence     100
What Keeps the Silence?     102
Family Violence: A Traumatic Experience     103
Exposing the Roots of Violence: A Biblical Reinterpretation     104
A Feminist Anabaptist Reading of the Text     106
What Can Churches Learn from Mark 9:42-50?     108
A Model for Intervention and Prevention     109
Nonviolent Parenting     117
Family Therapy and Violence     121
Confronting the Roots of Violence      124
Transformation as a Goal     125
Signs of Hope in the Midst of Despair     126
Peace That Brings Healing     130
Building a Culture of Peace     130
Human Rights and Peace in the Families     134
Working for Change     138
Discovering the Resiliency of Each Family     141
Signs of Hope among Church Organizations     142
Returning to the Guiding Question     144
Health and Healing Journeys     146
Constructing a Culture of Peace     148
Returning to the Action/Reflection Spiral     152
Signs of Hope     153
Separate But Equal     158
Challenges Ahead     159
A Reflection     160
Notes     161
Index     177