“He shall rule over thee”? Toward the theorization of gendered religious domestic violence

Purpose – This study aims to develop and broaden the understanding of religious domestic violence (RDV) as an entrenched phenomenon, especially in religious communities that affect women and men. Centered on a case study of the Jewish Haredi community – an insular enclave society with internal mechanisms of religious–social control and minimal state intervention – the study focuses on the role of formal and informal religious institutions in interpreting theological texts and enforcing these interpretations in their communities. We delineate a comprehensive array of RDV practices, distinguish between those targeting women and men and elucidate the social conditions enabling such violence despite broader social and legal condemnations. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 34 Haredi men and women whose divorces were attributed to incidents of RDV. Findings – (1) The containment of RDV hinges on the interplay between theology and hierarchical social dynamics rooted in perceived theological expertise and the social standing of extended family networks in the community. (2) Key RDV practices include the exploitation of husbands’ purported superior theological knowledge, religious rhetoric and gender norms to enforce behaviors and administer various forms of punishment. (3) Religious institutions not only legitimize RDV practices but sometimes also perpetrate them. Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on a single community and is based on qualitative interviews. Future research should examine the issue of religious violence in additional communities. Practical implications – Intervention strategies should engage religious authorities and reinterpret religious texts and prevailing norms to promote nonviolent familial relations. Social implications – Suggestions regarding potential measures that can be applied to reduce RDV are provided. Originality/value – The study offers a broader, more nuanced definition of RDV, affording more comparative and in-depth future research in this field. We systematically examine the relationship among the objectification of gender relations, characteristics of major religions and patterns of RDV in specific religious contexts. A deeper understanding of how RDV is embedded in specific features of religious institutions and theology may inform public policies aimed at reducing such violence.