As a Seattle High School student, there are a few things that are critical, like reading thought-provoking books and studying at the intersection of theology and trauma. These intersections are where we find new ideas, challenge assumptions, and join in meaningful conversations. they invite us to pause and think deeply, whether it be the corner of theology and psychology, or theology and trauma. We hope you will take the time to explore some of this reading and join us as we continue to explore and ask questions at the intersection of theology and trauma.
Spirit and Trauma
by shelly rambo
You are reading: Christian books on trauma
“in spirit and trauma, rambo draws on contemporary trauma studies to rethink a central claim of christian faith: that new life arises from death. By reexamining the narrative of Jesus’ death and resurrection from noon, liturgically called Holy Saturday, he seeks a theology that addresses the experience of living after trauma.”
Anatomy of the Soul
Surprising connections between neuroscience and spiritual practices that can transform your life and relationships
by curt thompson, md
“dr. Thompson reveals how you can rewire your mind, altering your brain patterns and literally making you more like the person God intended you to be. By explaining discoveries about the brain in layman’s terms, he shows how you can mentally transform yourself through spiritual practices, interaction with scripture, and connections with other people.”
Arthur’s Call
a journey of faith in the face of severe learning disability
by frances young
theologian frances young writes a personal narrative about her son’s learning disability and “hope and help for all who struggle with faith in the face of unceasing suffering.” Although not clearly about the trauma, the young man asks difficult questions about life, God, and how we should respond in the midst of difficult circumstances.
My Grandmother’s Hands
by resmaa menakem
“in this groundbreaking work, therapist resmaa menakem examines the harm caused by racism in the united states from the perspective of body-centered psychology. she argues that this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational angst of white supremacy, which is deeply ingrained in all of our bodies. our collective agony does not only affect African Americans. white Americans also suffer their own secondary trauma. so do the blue americans, our police. My Grandmother’s Hands is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body, and presents an alternative vision of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racial divide.”
A General Theory of Love
by thomas lewis (and others)
“A general theory of love shows that our nervous systems are not autonomous: from the earliest childhood, our brains link with those of people close to us, in a silent rhythm that alters the very structure of our brains, it sets emotional patterns for life and makes us, in large part, who we are.”
Resurrecting Wounds
living in the afterlife
by shelly rambo
You are reading: Christian books on trauma
“shelly rambo rereads the story of thomas and the story of his performance through the lens of trauma studies to reflect on the ways in which the wounds of race, gender and war persist. Wounds do not simply go away, although a close reading of John Calvin reveals his theological investments in the removal of wounds. This erasure reflects a dominant mode of Christian thought, but it is not the only Christian reading.[…] Again, the visceral display of Jesus’ wounds, when placed at the center of Thomas’ encounter in the upper room, represents a vision of resurrection that addresses the real damage from the real wounds of war.”
The Night Trilogy
See Also: 10 Best Books for New Teachers – We Are Teachers
by elie wiesel
“First published in 1958, Night is the autobiographical account of a teenager and his father in Auschwitz. elie wiesel writes about his battle for survival and his battle with god for a way to understand the unbridled cruelty he witnesses every day. In the novella Dawn, a young World War II survivor who settled in Palestine joins a Jewish underground and is ordered to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage. back in the day, wiesel questions the limits of consciousness: can holocaust survivors forge a new life despite their memories?”
Trauma and Grace
theology in a broken world
by serene jones
“the center of its general theme is an investigation of how individual and collective violence affects the capacity to remember, act and love; how violence can challenge the theological understanding of grace; and even how the traumatic experience of Jesus’ death is remembered. Jones focuses on the long-term effects of mob violence on abuse survivors, veterans, and marginalized populations, and the discreet ways grace and redemption can be displayed in each context.”
Holy Resilience
the traumatic origins of the bible
by david carr
“human trauma gave rise to the bible. . . The Bible’s ability to speak of suffering is one of the main reasons why the sacred texts of Judaism and Christianity have remained relevant for thousands of years. In his fascinating and provocative reinterpretation of the origins of the Bible, the author tells the story of how the Jewish people and the Christian community had to adapt to survive multiple catastrophes and how their sacred writings reflected and reinforced the resilient nature of each religion. .
See Also: How to Write a Novel: Writing an AMAZING Book in 15 Steps