Abstract
Trauma occurs on a daily basis in the life of every individual. Some of these traumas are so severe they impact the development of life and faith. Some traumas are small and barely leave a mark. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD, not including those undiagnosed or who endure trauma without experiencing PTSD. Those who experience trauma often feel trapped in their own little worlds. The walls are tight around them, no one understands what is going on with them because there is no words to express it, and they feel completely forgotten in the fold of life. Even the central event of Christianity, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is an extremely traumatizing event. This is why the church should care about the traumatized. Their congregants are enduring these traumas, they are longing for a place that can be safe and supported in their journey. The people are longing for someone to break into their brokenness and help them escape. But how do we do this in a way that doesn’t harm? By having the knowledge of trauma and trauma care, churches can help survivors move past their trauma into the life Christ has for them. This research dove into the way theology and Christology one holds can impact the traumatized, how power and trauma-care go hand in hand, and some of the ways this information is important to providing good pastoral, and non-pastoral, care to the traumatized.
Included in
Trauma and Pastoral Care
Trauma occurs on a daily basis in the life of every individual. Some of these traumas are so severe they impact the development of life and faith. Some traumas are small and barely leave a mark. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD, not including those undiagnosed or who endure trauma without experiencing PTSD. Those who experience trauma often feel trapped in their own little worlds. The walls are tight around them, no one understands what is going on with them because there is no words to express it, and they feel completely forgotten in the fold of life. Even the central event of Christianity, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is an extremely traumatizing event. This is why the church should care about the traumatized. Their congregants are enduring these traumas, they are longing for a place that can be safe and supported in their journey. The people are longing for someone to break into their brokenness and help them escape. But how do we do this in a way that doesn’t harm? By having the knowledge of trauma and trauma care, churches can help survivors move past their trauma into the life Christ has for them. This research dove into the way theology and Christology one holds can impact the traumatized, how power and trauma-care go hand in hand, and some of the ways this information is important to providing good pastoral, and non-pastoral, care to the traumatized.