Quiverfull is a Christian belief that children are blessings from God and couples should not prevent conception. Adherents oppose birth control and believe having many children is a sign of God’s favor. Critics argue it can harm women’s health and cause financial stress.
Quiverfull is a Christian philosophical and theological position which holds that children are blessings from God and that married couples should take no steps to prevent their conception and birth. The quiverfull movement is not limited to any particular Christian denomination or church, although many of its adherents identify with conservative or fundamentalist evangelical Protestant theology. While there are some nuances to the beliefs of those who are quiverfull proponents, in the majority of cases adherents oppose the use of any type of birth control, including pharmaceutical or mechanical contraceptives, as well as “natural” methods such as fertility awareness combined with periodic abstinence. The latter belief marks a significant distinction between the movement and the teachings of the Roman Catholic church, which forbid the use of artificial contraception but advocate periodic abstinence as a means of preventing pregnancy.
The term “quiver” has its roots in Psalm 127:3-5, which states: “Children are an inheritance from the Lord, the offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are children born in their youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” Adherents believe that having many children is a sign of God’s favor, and therefore it is inappropriate to turn down opportunities for pregnancy. Unlike Roman Catholics and others who believe that abstaining from sexual activity during a woman’s fertile periods is an acceptable way to manage family size, shaky families reject any attempts to control pregnancy. Some may even take the extreme position that it is wrong to avoid conception in cases where a woman has health problems that could be aggravated by pregnancy.
Proponents of quiverfull argue that attempting to prevent pregnancy by any means diminishes the value of children and reinforces the notion of child rearing as an inconvenience. While trembling families recognize the burden of raising a large family, doing so is seen as an indication of a family’s submission to God’s will and a willingness to be obedient even in the face of hardship. These families typically also support the notion of conservative gender roles, in which women are responsible for the birth and education of children, as well as household chores. Men are considered the leaders and providers of their families.
Critics of this movement argue that forcing a woman to give birth as often as possible has detrimental effects on her physical and mental health. They also note that many families lack the financial resources to adequately provide for numerous children, which causes significant stress for all family members. Former adherents have also expressed concern about possible exploitation and abuse within these families, as women are often taught to submit to their husbands but may have few options to leave the marriage if they are abused. As a result of these concerns, the doctrine of the quiverfull remains a controversial topic within the Christian church.
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