St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Apr 2023)
Trauma Theology
Abstract
Trauma theology is a theological discipline that seeks to both do theological justice to traumatic experiences and also to reimagine theologies in the light of such experiences. Whilst suffering has always been of interest to Christian theology, trauma theology distinguishes between suffering and trauma, noting the specific impact trauma has on the embodied life of trauma survivors. Envisioning trauma experience as an earthquake that shatters theological landscapes, trauma theology sees its work as that of construction of reimagined theologies in the wake of these experiences. This article outlines the development of the discipline, its primary approaches and methodologies, alongside the key areas of discussion and debate.
