Christians have always struggled to relate the “then and there” aspects of the Bible with the “here and now” of the challenges we face today. This is especially true for Old Testament characters and events, which often seem to contradict today's values.

Havilah Dharamraj explores Tamar's story in Genesis 38 using several models of interpretation, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each model along the way. She concludes with a proposal on how best to read the text with a view to faithful application in our current context.

General Session, 42 mins.
Side by Side: Gender from a Christian Perspective
CBE International Symposium, Bangalore, India

HAVILAH DHARAMRAJ is completing her Ph.D. in Old Testament at the University of Durham and serving as faculty-in-training at the South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS). Havilah and her husband Dharamraj have two children, Paul and Jerusha.