Theological arguments framing violence against women: Context, cause and the gendered impacts of scriptural priorities

This article explores firstly how Lutheran theological arguments in Australia are representing women, men and male/female gender relations, and secondly how these frame women and femininity as a problem for the church. A document analysis conducted for a research project exploring religion, domestic violence, and men's use of violence, included analysis of articles published in the Lutheran Theological Journal (LTJ). The analysis found that the role of women in the Lutheran Church dominated discussions, consolidating a Lutheran hegemonic masculinity notwithstanding challenges to the Lutheran church as a patriarchal social and theological structure. The analysis also found that theological arguments frequently avoided consideration of lived experiences of gender inequality. This paper argues from such analysis, that in theologically othering women the church is positioning women as unequal to men in church, congregation and family life, and that this dominant theological rationale as practice categorically positions women at risk of experiencing domestic violence.