Hello from a PhD student in Scotland

[ANagle]

Hello All,
My name is Alice and I'm currently studying in a PhD program in social anthropology. My project focuses on people such as yourselves, who are committed to welcoming as many children as God sees fit to provide. As part of my research, I'm looking for new friends to share with me their testimonies and experiences about what being Quiverfull means to them. I'm not a reporter and I'm not writing a book -- I'm just a student wanting to make connections and learn about your lives. If you would like to talk to me over message, I would be very happy to hear from you. If not, I hope you will allow my presence in your forum community, and I will gladly answer any questions you have about myself or my research.

 

[Sabertooth]

There isn't much to tell. Some of the common denominators in (what is called) the Quiverfull paradigm are:

1. No conception can occur without God's willful pronouncement; that conception is not solely a physiological phenomenon, per Psalms 139:13-16, particularly verse 16.
2. A (potential) father and mother do, physiologically, contribute to this process via their reproductive systems.
3. It is contradictory for (so aware) Christians to refuse to place them at God's disposal, per Romans 12:1 and Romans 6:12-13 (regardless of the success or failure of their attempted contraception).
4. It is a Christian ideal, not a mandate. Non-homicidal contraception shouldn't adversely affect one's standing in God, as far as anyone can tell.

Those who oppose these conclusions will usually challenge the intrinsic meaning of these (and other) verses, but (to us) they are pretty straightforward.
Also, nobody is expected to live like this apart from a personal conviction before God. Indeed, nobody can walk this path in the absence of such personal conviction.

Reproductive health considerations might impact how well one is able to participate, but they don't impact the conviction itself.

There are some additional variations beyond just these considerations, but these are the commonly held values (in this matter). Unlike more traditional religious views, conception is not considered the main objective for every (married) sexual encounter, just a welcomed possibility.

Addendum: Not every QF couple subscribes to the same model of hyper-patriarchy, either. That is more influenced by the type of church that they belong to and is independent of this life choice.

 

[ANagle]

Thanks for the reply, Sabertooth. I'm grateful to hear your studied perspective on the meaning of Quiverfull, and I've seen many others stress the fact that this is an ideal, and not the entire basis for married sexual life. In other words, having a pleasurable sex life is in itself important to Godly marriage. I notice that you say "(what is called) Quiverfull" which brings up a question I've had for a while: How do you feel about the term Quiverfull, do you feel it accurately describes your conviction, and has the term changed over the years?

 

[Sabertooth]

How do you feel about the term Quiverfull, do you feel it accurately describes your conviction, and has the term changed over the years?

I find it to be descriptive, and taken from a fundamental scripture (Psalms 127:4-5). So I'm not particularly offended by it. The Duggars, OTOH, do not use the term for themselves.
I don't know their particular objections to the term, but I have seen three negative emphases attached to the name:

1. That this is a centrally-organized movement. In our own experience, this is completely motivated out of personal conviction. It is just that so many of us have independently come to this conviction at the same time that it appears (to outsiders) as a deliberately organized movement. (I think that it might be tied to Last Days events.) There is no Quiverfull vatican. It is completely self-driven before God. Quiverfull books are written to encourage people who already subscribe to this vision, not to force others to subscribe against their will, or by guilt.
2. That it is tied to a particular expression of hyper-patriarchy. All Christians have to contend with the gender roles as prescribed in the Bible. Baptists (where I got saved) take one approach, while Vineyard (where I am) takes another. Neither position has a monopoly on Quiverfull. I have seen QF couples arise from many different types of churches, often against the support of their home church.
3. That we automatically homeschool. It is true that many of us would like to homeschool, but not all of us have the resources to do so. It is not intrinsic to the Quiverfull paradigm.

(Some secular detractors have even accused racial motivations, but this conviction is not limited to a specific race.)