Spiritual Abuse: Ephesians 5, Coercive Control, and the Domineering Personality

(Ben White on Unsplash)

It's about time I covered a difficult topic: spiritual abuse.

Spiritual abuse can come in many forms, but in this article I want to discuss the abuse of Sacred Scripture and how this is a violation not only against the target, but against God Himself.

One of the most popular verses an abusive personality uses to "prove" his superiority over his mate is Ephesians 5:22: "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord."

Does this verse really mean that woman should just "shut up and put up," and do whatever her husband says? He's the king of the household, and what he says goes? Uh, hardly. If any man quotes this verse to justify his  controlling behavior, consider that a gigantic red flag. The Catholic Church teaches that a true marriage is one of mutual self-giving, not power-over and abrasive authority.

Ephesians 5:22 is an abused and misinterpreted verse. 

My Latest Article Will Tell You Why--and What St. Paul is Really Saying