Hatred of Women

Implicit (and sometimes explicit) in Matthews' bizarre theology is a hostility towards women. The authors trace the foundation of this sentiment to Matthews' upbringing in a strict Scottish Calvinist community. This community functioned as a patriarchy: the church elders were all men, and fathers led their families in prayer and were the undisputed head of the household. This societal structure was threatened by an evangelical movement that was de-emphasizing the father and emphasizing the role of the mother as teacher and household leader. Matthews, and many men like him, felt threatened by this change and responded by retreating to more conservative conceptions of how the family and community should function.

Matthews frequently whipped his wife Margaret, and was later arrested and convicted for beating his daughter Isabella. He saw women as temptresses and devils who, with their sensuality and lust, could derail good men from pursuing...