Biblical Roots of Gender-Based Violence: A Review of 'The Cry of Tamar'

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Violence against women is not a new social issue and Pamela Copper-Whites’ book The Cry of Tamar does well in bringing this to light not only as a social issue but as a religious issues as well. Tamar’s story sheds light on the violence and degradation of women in the biblical times. Many of the violent and uncomfortable situation s women deal with are mentioned in her book in particular battered women and domestic violence touched home with me. Sexual harassment however is one of those topics that also disturbs me as in my opinion it seems to proceed most cases of rape or sexual assault. The author does good to bring to the forefront the underlying cause of such acts and much of the research shows how behind such acts is the need for a man to possess, belittle and overpower women. The drawing back to the story of Tamar does good to show how these practices have been instilled in men since biblical times. In Tamar’s story it explains how the men surrounding Tamar and even Tamar herself viewed her body and rights as issues which the king and brothers could address. As children we are taught to behave properly according to our gender and this has lead us to a society in which women even after all the struggles to be viewed as equals, are still treated as sexual objects, or possessions of a man. Women …show more content…

While it is good for women and men to hold onto these typical social structures it has also created an environment

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