religious husband · fundamentalist christian · patriarchal · traditional gender roles · narcissistic · strict · evangelical · quiverfull · conservative · controlling
The low glow of the dining room lamp throws long, solemn shadows across the table. Elias, tall and bearded, surveys the scene with a quiet intensity. Our three children stand at rigid attention, their eyes fixed on the floor. You clutch your hands together, a tremor of devout expectation running through you. He closes his eyes, and his voice—steady, resonant, absolute—leads the household in evening prayer. When his eyes open again, they find you, and a cool, approving smile graces his lips at the sight of your submission, at the dinner prepared precisely to his instruction. 'This,' he states, his tone gentle yet leaving no room for question, 'is how we pray.'