The Quiverfull Families Next Door: Part 1

Ask someone if they’ve heard of the “Quiverfull Movement” and you may receive a puzzled look in response.

Few Americans have heard of this ideology—but most are aware of the Duggar family, subjects of the reality TV show “19 Kids and Counting” and one of the most famous  Quiverfull families. 

People followed the Duggar family for years, because the big-family lifestyle was entertaining and presumed to be unique, but more recent revelations about Josh Duggar revealed what is all too common in Quiverfull families: incest, child sexual abuse, and systematic abuse coverups based on a twisted understanding of biblical forgiveness.

What does Quiverfull ideology have to do with CFC?

Psalm 127 3-5 (NIV)

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,

   offspring a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

5 Blessed is the man

   whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their opponents in court.

Note how verse 5 promises that “Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of [children].” This verse becomes the titular reference point for an ideology that encourages Christian families to birth as many children (some translations specify sons) as possible, raise them up to be model Christians, and send them out to “further extend the effective rule of Christ.”

The Quiverfull movement has many adherents in the United States (especially in the Midwest and South). Many Quiverfull families seek to enact systemic change in our country by increasing the sheer volume of like-minded extremist Christian voices. The resulting “arrows” are meant to grow up and infiltrate all levels of government from local politics to international relations. For example, Jim Bob Duggar served as an Arkansas State Representative.

In a 2017 interview with Righting America, Dr. Emily McGowin (author of Quivering Families: The Quiverfull Movement and Evangelical Theology of the Family) commented on the Quiverfull movement:

“I use the term Quiverfull to refer to a subculture of American evangelicalism identifiable by the three practices mentioned above: pronatalism, homeschooling, and gender hierarchy. Pronatalism means that they are forgoing all family planning and seeking to have as many children as possible. Homeschooling means they are educating all of their children in the private family home, under the leadership of the mother, from pre-school through high school (and sometimes beyond). Gender hierarchy (or patriarchy) means they subscribe to explicit male headship in all spheres of life and teach their children accordingly. I suggest imagining the three elements of Quiverfull like circles in a Venn diagram: it’s where they overlap that Quiverfull discourse is found.”

In addition to valuing pronatalism, homeschooling, and gender hierarchy, many Quiverfull families also view the world through a dominionist lens, placing great emphasis on “filling the earth and subduing it.” One way they seek to do this is by taking a more active role in shaping society.

How does the Quiverfull movement seek to shape society?

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”

Quiverfull communities take Genesis 1:28 as their marching orders. Churches within the Quiverfull movement train young women in their congregations to be submissive wives and mothers and young men to dominate through leadership inside and outside the family unit and church community. 

In an invitation to be part of the Band of Brothers program at CFC, Pastor Eric Trelease exhorts the men: “It is time for you to dominate as a man of God and take responsibility for yourself and others.” 

The “Dominate for Jesus” slogan points to the ultimate goal of the Quiverfull movement: dominion. Recent studies have shown a clear correlation between Quiverfull ideology and Christian Nationalism. Both groups place an emphasis on large families for the purpose of “strengthening” their nation or religion. They convince large families by citing declining birth rates in the US and claiming that prominent groups in American society (white men and white families) are under threat.

White Christian Nationalism seeks to instill fear and contempt for those unlike them. This is contrary to Jesus’ teachings to love one’s neighbors. Both Quiverfull and American Christian Nationalist philosophies teach that select white Christians are in competition with other cultures, races, and religions. In order to dominate them, the right kind of Christians must outnumber their foes. This strategy doesn’t end with simply “filling the earth;” both movements also push their followers to “subdue” it. 

Rick Sinclair praises his sons and sons-in-law for “killing Philistines,” but for some Christian Nationalists, the slaughter of foes is less metaphorical. In his 2022 book “The Case for Christian Nationalism” published by Doug Wilson’s Canon Press, Stephen Wolfe argues that Christians who do not hold his views deserve death, banishment, or imprisonment. 

"This is not to say that capital punishment is the necessary, sole, or desired punishment. Banishment and long-term imprisonment may suffice as well." 

Wolfe goes on: “Those who do not profess Christianity & yet actively proselytize their non-Christian religion or belief system or actively seek to refute the Christian religion are subject to the same principles outlined above” (pp 391-392).

While many Quiverfull families would not agree with Wolfe’s extreme views, this inflammatory rhetoric has moved from fringe to mainstream in 2022. Throughout our nation’s history, White Christian nationalism has ebbed and flowed from a fringe belief to prominent and boldfaced racism and xenophobia. 

This current push may feel new, but it is a longstanding American tradition for white men to claim that they are being victimized by other groups (women, people of color, immigrants, etc.) to garner sympathy, stoke fear, and further their causes. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to scrutinize Quiverfull men who run for public office and to ask pointed questions that plainly expose their goals to subdue and shape the world to their liking. 

Multiple CFC members have sought public office over the years. One CFC deacon ran several unsuccessful campaigns to be Madrid Town Justice in 2012 and 2014. Another CFC deacon ran for Potsdam Town Council only last year and a long-time CFC member is currently serving on the St. Lawrence Republican County Committee as treasurer. And most recently, Rick Sinclair’s son-in-law is running for the District 8 County Legislator Position and has been outspoken about his opposition to the CARE Act.

Men within the Quiverfull movement make their way into places of power in order to influence their communities. This is often phrased as “serving the community,” which needs to be understood within the larger context of Quiverfull male leadership.

Many of their political aspirations are cast as religious freedom and constitutional liberty issues: Abortion bans and anti-birth control policies, anti-LGBTQ policies (to the point of complete eradication of trans and gay people), and homeschooling and “parental rights.” In practice, this can look like defunding local DSS so they cannot adequately handle abuse cases, refusing trans minors gender affirming care, or asserting that religious freedom should protect clergy from being mandated reporters. 

Our next posts will analyze the three components of the Quiverfull ideology to understand how these families function as local and global neighbors.