Hope and Healing from Wife Abuse, by June Hunt, Hope for the Heart, www.hopefortheheart.org or 1-800-488-4673

June Hunt has written many booklets and books springing from her experiences and knowledge gained through many years of counseling; all pertain to real-life issues. In the office we keep this particular booklet around because of the unfortunate rampant need by wives around the globe. I knew nothing about spousal abuse until a good friend started sharing with me her experiences over many years; that began to equip me to open my eyes to the plight of women (and sometimes men). This booklet, when given to a woman in crisis, helps her identify her situation and realize she is not alone, enables her to see the behaviors common to the flesh of abusive types, and not only encourages her to seek help but guides her in where to look for it. Without being pushy, Ms. Hunt uses Scripture throughout to substantiate what behaviors are unacceptable for tolerating and to counter the arguments commonly used to keep a woman in an abusive situation. Her inner strength can embolden the crushed-down woman who knows she has a decision to make.

Example: page 42, “Correct the Confusion”

“A wife who sincerely wants to please and obey God can easily become captive to an incorrect understanding of what the Bible says about submission. She becomes vulnerable to accepting abuse and other inappropriate behavior from her husband, all because she has a heart of commitment to the Lord. One key to correcting confusion is learning to see Scripture in the light of its context. This is done by

–Looking at the surrounding verses

–Looking at the purpose of the passage or book in which the verse is found

–Looking at the whole counsel of God’s Word on how we are to relate to one another”

Pros: The booklet is easily read in a short time, concise, to the point, and supports the notion of a true marriage, not the sham an abusive type of person wants to maintain. I have found that abusive men use Scripture as Law to trap their wives in a loveless marriage; Ms. Hunt unravels that approach beautifully.

Cons: The booklet appears to support separation without acknowledging that sometimes a divorce has already occurred, and all that’s left to do is sign paperwork.

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