the need for repentance on the part of those who abuse their spouses. Their strong, yet true, words have applications to other areas of shortcoming in our lives: The victim of abuse can choose to forgive her batterer, both for his sake and for her own, but the work of reconciliation cannot begin until the batterer repents. And repentance is a process. It starts when the batterer spiritually and psychologically faces the awfulness of his actions. There must come that loathing of oneself for one’s