Abstract

Qualitative research was conducted on the attitudes and behaviors of Christians in Australian mainline churches in relation to equality, mutuality, and negotiating around needs. Using an interpretive phenomenological method, four themes emerged. The themes, with paradigmatic statements, are these: (i) Negotiation is a difficult conversation: “I go out of my way to make everybody happy. It puts me in a bind”; (ii) The struggle to achieve a balance between giving and receiving: “Sometimes I'm selfish, and then my husband leans forward on the teeter-totter”; (iii) Equality and complementarity: “We're equal in different ways”; (iv) Shared leadership: “Sometimes he's the leader, and sometimes I would be the leader.”