Violence Against Women and Girls: Where is God in “This”?∗

∗First Place—FaithTrust Institute 2007 National Sermon Contest

ABSTRACT

The author uses the Old Testament/Hebrew Scripture text of 2 Samuel 13:1–22 (NRSV) to examine violence against women and girls, redress the popular image of Tamar as a silent participant in a violent situation, and answer the question, Where is God in “this”?

KEYWORDS:

• 2 Samuel 13:1–22
• dehumanization
• domestic violence
• sexual violence
• Tamar
• violence against women and girls

Notes

∗First Place—FaithTrust Institute 2007 National Sermon Contest

1. Phyllis Trible, “Tamar: The Royal Rape of Wisdom.” In Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984) 48.

2. 2 Samuel 12:15–19.

3. 2 Samuel 13:32–36.

4. 2 Samuel 18:33 through 2 Samuel 19:1–10.