Spare the Child: The Religious Roots of Punishment and the Psychological Impact of Physical Abuse

by Philip Greven

Book Overview

In this rare work of scholarship, "the subject [of physical discipline] enters our minds and hearts in a new way, and we are forced to imagine a world in which the hitting of a child is against the laws of both man and God" ( Chicago Tribune). He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. These words provided generations of American Christians with the justification for physically disciplining their children, in ways that range from spankings to brutal beatings. This learned and deeply disturbing work of history examines both the religious roots of corporal punishment in America and its consequences -- in the minds of children, in adults, and in our national tendencies toward authoritarian and apocalyptic thinking. Drawing on sources as old as Cotton Mather and as current as today's headlines, Spare the Child is one of those rare works of scholarship that have the power to change our lives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679733388
• ISBN13: 9780679733386
• Release Date: March 1992
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Deserves a wide audience

I found out about this book through the bibliography of a parenting book I enjoyed. I almost did not buy it, because I needed no further convincing that corporal punishment was a bad idea. But I decided to buy it anyway, to better help me understand how the way I raised might have influenced the way I think -- I'd identified some connections, but suspected I hadn't found them all. I was right. Greven pursues the connections between violence against children and depression, dissociation and apocalyptic thinking (all of which resonated with me). And he describes many others as well. Learning the beginnings of these problems does not necessarily solve them entirely, but it helps a lot. Everyone in our society could benefit from reading this book. It provides a powerful argument against an all too common parenting tactic. It sheds light onto how corporal punishment has far-reaching emotional and psychological effects. And perhaps most important of all, it shows a strong connection between the apocalyptic thinking characteristic of evangelical Christians and the corporal punishment so many of them believe crucial to raising children.

A must read

Every Christian should read this book. Watch out though, there is some scary truth in there. Love, love, love your children with all your heart. They are a true blessing from the Lord.

Spare the Child

There are a mere handful of insightful, non-dogmatic, loving authors who understand the vulnerability of children (we, who were children, and those who now are children for awhile), and who can open up for us those feelings which arose in childhood and mold us the rest of our lives. Mr Greven and Alice Miller are the two I admire most. This book is honest, insightful, non-judgemental and enlightening. Do not be afraid to question the wisdom of your forefathers in regards to punishing your children - read this and learn.

This book really opened my eyes!

This book is a compelling rebuttal to all those who claim that corporal punishment does not harm children. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about how experiences in childhood can and do affect our adult selves.

If you have kids, READ THIS BOOK!

This is a powerful book. It may be too strong for those who most need to hear its message, but for every parent who has wondered about corporal punishment it will be an eye-opener. In Greven's inspired hands the stories of battered Christians through the ages come to life in a never-ending tale of appalling woe. That all this pain was delivered to children in the name of God and with the apparent sanction of holy scripture makes it all the more poignant, almost unbearable in its awful human tragedy.