If we are to hear the Scriptures well, we might be best advised to begin by suspending loaded terms from the conversation—terms like ‘rape’, ‘power dynamics’, ‘consent’, and the like. In place of questions and frames provided by our own contexts, we should prioritize questions and frames that emerge from close engagement with the text itself. ‘Did David rape Bathsheba?’ is not a promising starting point for our enquiry. Truly to understand David’s actions, we should listen closely to the account and framing of them within the text itself. Perhaps at some later point we can reintroduce our own terms, frames, and questions in a more careful fashion.
How might this help us to read the story of David and Bathsheba?
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