Customer Reviews

The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church's Response

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This book is a masterpiece, and should be on the bookshelf of every person interested in the cultural and religious support of violence against women. So many people are oblivious to the pervasive media and cultural propaganda that supports violence, especially violence against women. We accept, without question, bible stories and billboards that tell us that it is ok to objectify women-- that women are commodities-- to be used to further the ambitions of a male dominated hegemony. If the reader does not understand the source and nature of the support for violence against women, then all of the instruction for counseling in the world will not help-- How can a counselor be effective if she does not understand the cultural elements that support the misconceptions that mentally imprison these victims? The author is very careful to point out that there are limits to the areas in which a lay counselor should attempt to give advice and that the boundaries are quite clear. She gives charts and descriptions of the types of counseling that should be given to these victims, and recommends sources of help for women whose experiences require the assistence of professionally trained help. I found this book to be very readble, credible and timeless for its sound advice for helping the victims of domestic violence.

The Cry of Tamar is an excellent book. It was referred to me by a ministerial collegue who gave it a rave review. Since I teach in the area of Women Studies I am in constant search for materials and books in this subject area. I had specifically been looking for a book that expressed how the church "should" respond to the pain and suffering that women experience. Many of the facts and information, in this book, concerning the many forms of violence against women were not new. What I did appreciated was a clear concise presentation of how clergy persons and the church family continue to abuse women who come looking for and expecting to be comforted. I expecially appreciated how Cooper-White gave specific information as to what the church's response should be and what steps should be taken and how to carry out these steps if assisting women in the healing process is the goal.

I encountered this book as a required textbook for a course in Pastoral Care. I think it was probably very current when it came out in the mid-'90s, but the writing and the material seem a bit dated now. If you have to have this book for a course similar to the one I took, so be it, but if you are looking for a book on this subject matter to read out of personal interest, I would encourage you to seek a more recent book.

If you were referred this book from a clergy memeber, do not buy it! It is a scholarly work, which spends much more time talking about things like racism and things like the plight of classism in Central America than about how to give help to a woman in need of guidance.

The fact is, there are only a few pages on how to counsel a woman who is raped or one from domestic violence (under 10 pages, actually). This book does not address AT ALL the situation of so many women who feel that several stories in the Bible support rape. Many women I've helped have a problem linking the concept of turning the other cheek/forgiveness with allowing vicitmization.

The concept of the marriage vow, as it related to domestic violence is not even covered. Many women feel they have to stay with an abusive husband out of the covenant they made to God. Women often need to feel it is acceptable and preferable to God to divorce, rather than a Sin. This book offers no help at all.