TUBUH PEREMPUAN DAN PROSES GROOMING DALAM NARASI TAMAR

Pembacaan atas Narasi Tamar dalam 2 Samuel 13:1-22 Menggunakan Perspektif Feminis

Abstract

Sexual violence against women and children, particularly through practices of child grooming, often occurs through manipulation, unequal power relations, and emotional control rather than immediate physical coercion. This article addresses the problem of how biblical narratives of sexual violence, especially the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, have frequently been moralized or silenced, obscuring patterns of abuse that remain relevant today. The purpose of this study is to reread the Tamar narrative as a form of gender-based violence that reflects characteristics of child grooming. This research employs a qualitative textual analysis using trauma-informed reading and feminist hermeneutics to examine power relations, manipulation, and silencing of the victim within the text. The thesis of this article argues that Tamar’s suffering was not the result of a sudden act but emerged from a gradual process of relational manipulation, structural complicity, and the failure of authority to uphold justice. The findings show that the presence of legal prohibitions against incest and sexual violence highlights the ethical collapse of the royal household, particularly King David’s passive response. This study concludes that the Tamar narrative calls the contemporary church to develop a theological ethical commitment that prioritizes survivor protection, accountability, and healing over institutional reputation.