This paper presents findings related to the silencing of battered women within Christian faith communities in Memphis, Tennessee, a large metropolitan area in the Mid-South region of the United States. Participants in this qualitative inquiry were 10 Christian identified women from diverse denominations and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who had experienced intimate partner violence. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory method. Findings illuminate mechanisms through which Christian beliefs about the sanctity of marriage and partner and community pressure to present as model Christians serve to shame and silence battered women. Findings are discussed in relation to stages that participants negotiated as they sought to create abuse-free lives.
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