We’ve heard some strong stuff. Perhaps you knew these stories already but had you heard them preached about in Church? Is it really appropriate to do so? Rev Dr Helen Paynter thinks it is. In this final podcast she talks to Rosie Dawson about t

Episode 6. The punishment of Jezebel (Revelation 2.19-24)

Mar 5th, 2019 10m 23s

This passage contains not a story about sexual violence, but a metaphor of it. The writer of Revelation uses the imagery of sexual violence to speak of the punishment that awaits the prophetess Jezebel who is accused of leading the church into

Episode 5. The rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13)

Feb 28th, 2019 12m 20s

In a world which – then as now – frequently divides women into Madonnas or whores, Tamar is the ‘perfect’ rape victim; virginal, beautiful, obedient. Her rape takes place within the Royal Household of King David. Tamar, David’s daughter, is rap

Episode 4. The Levite’s Concubine (Judges 19)

Feb 22nd, 2019 13m 47s

The story of the Levite’s concubine is brutal beyond words. The victim has no name and does not get to speak. She is betrayed by her husband and handed over to a mob to be raped and murdered. War and the trafficking and rape of many more women

Episode 3. Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11)

Feb 15th, 2019 16m 22s

The story of Jephthah’s daughter is the tragic tale of rash promises and unintended consequences. The warrior Jephthah makes a vow to sacrifice the first person to come out of his house to greet him if the Lord gives him victory over the Ammoni

Episode 2. Hagar (Genesis 16 and 21)

Feb 7th, 2019 11m 22s

The story of Hagar is the most well-known of the passages under consideration in this series. Hagar is the slave of Abraham and Sarah who is required to bear Abraham a son, Ishmael, as a solution to the couple’s childlessness. Usually this stor

Episode 1. Sexual violence in the Bible: read with care

Jan 31st, 2019 13m 33s

Every reader comes to the Bible with their own history and set of assumptions. In this introductory episode, Rev Dr Helen Paynter tells Rosie Dawson which principles and commitments inform her engagement with Biblical texts about sexual abuse a

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