The Rise of Biblical Womanhood, by Gillian Kane
There has been little study of this tiny but growing pronatalist movement, but with Kathryn Joyce’s Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarch Movement, we now have an excellent resource. Joyce tracks Quiverfull’s genesis and doctrinal roots to untangle the various strands of this complex patriarchal movement and explain why, in the 21st century, a group that eschews modernity and individualism is gaining ground and adherents.
Much has already been written about patriarchal movements, from the Promise Keepers to Jon Krakauer’s bestselling nonfictional account of polygamist fundamentalist Mormons. What is overlooked is the question of what motivates women to willingly participate in movements that require their total submission to men and accompanying loss of autonomy.
