LAMENT: THE BIBLICAL LANGUAGE OF TRAUMA

2018

SUFFERING, SOUL CARE, AND COMMUNITY: THE PLACE OF CORPORATE LAMENT IN EVANGELICAL WORSHIP Ann Marie Ahrens, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2017 Chair: Dr. Esther R. Crookshank This dissertation examines the biblical foundations of corporate lament practices beginning with the worship of ancient Israel as found in the Psalms, and their continued use by Jesus in his prayers, the gospel writers, and in the epistles of Paul, Peter, and John in the Revelation. It concludes with case studies and recommendations for the inclusion of lament practices in modern corporate worship. Chapter 1 is a chronological literature review beginning ca. 1980, which demonstrates the increase in worship resources, particularly in the last decade, that focus on corporate lament practices. Resources are categorized as follows: (1) biblical and theological studies; (2) practical theology; (3) psychology and soul care; (4) liturgical resources for lament; and (5) corporate worship and the use ...

Pastoral Psychology, 2019

Biblical poetry, in particular the psalms of lament, provides a model of how composing one's own lament and performing it to God can be a positive element in healing the effects of trauma. In an empirical study, Zulu youth who had experienced various forms of trauma, learned to use the model of biblical psalms of lament to compose their own laments. The process of regaining agency, establishing a sense of justice (with an appeal for the perpetrator of the hurt to be punished), and a rekindling of hope for life going forward, all elements of biblical lament, are also vital parts of the healing process. Thus it is suggested that the use of poetry, in the form of biblical lament, can contribute to the healing of those who have suffered trauma.

Modern Believing, 2020

2015

The terms "recovery" and "healing" are often used interchangeably in the Christian community. For the purpose of this thesis the term "recovery" will be used almost exclusively to denote that it is a process one ~oes through.

The essay discusses how biblical interpreters employ the concept of trauma reflected in the Old Testament and theories of symbolic representation that can help foster recovery from trauma. The book of Jeremiah, as a test case, demonstrates the healing capacity of the metaphor of suffering as divine punishment.

Prompted by a quote of A. Portier-Young, this research is focussed upon coping strategies to deal with trauma, as found within the Book of Lamentations. Special attention is given to Lamentations 3:19-24.

Lexington/Fortress, 2018

This looks at the ethical issues that the book of Lamentations poses, especially with respect to the portrayal of God. It is a chapter in the collection, Scripture and Social Justice: Catholic and Ecumenical Essays, ed. by G. Sterling and A. Portier-Young

Bible through the Lens of Trauma, 2016

in recent decades biblical scholars have increasingly come to regard the concept of trauma as a powerful interpretive lens, and that interest has begun to spark significant discussion. 1 The interdisciplinary conference "trauma and traumatization: Biblical studies and Beyond, " held at aarhus university, denmark, in 2012, brought biblical scholars into conversation with scholars from various disciplines, including anthropology, classics, history of medicine, patristics, psychology, and sociology. subsequently, an important volume of revised conference papers appeared in 2014. 2 during the annual meetings of the society of Biblical literature (sBl) from 2012 * We would like to thank Corrine Carvalho for reading and commenting on an earlier version of this essay. 1. for a survey up to 2014 of works of biblical interpretation employing the lens of trauma theory, see david g. garber, "trauma Theory and Biblical studies, "

This paper was presented at the 50th annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, March 18-20, 2021. The theme was This Is My Body: Addressing Global Violence Against Women. This practical theological paper attempts to engage the pentecostal understanding of story and body by exploring the intersection of psychology, Christology, and a healing praxis via cruciformity. Drawing from trauma theory and 1 Corinthians, the purpose of this paper is to augment a pentecostal theological praxis of healing for survivors of sexual trauma in three movements: (1) by providing a brief overview of trauma theory, particularly underscoring body memory; (2) by exploring how the Lord’s Supper is a retelling of Christ’s trauma story, specifically the violent acts committed against his physical body; and (3) by asserting how pentecostals may participate in God’s ministry (story) as Christ’s body.

Horizons in Biblical Theology, 2024

This article draws together insights from trauma theory and the conversation in Psalms scholarship known as "Psalmenexegese und Psalterexegese" or as the question of "shape and shaping" to propose a reading of Pss 136-139 as a pathway to trauma healing. This sequence of psalms moves participants toward healing by preparing them for the work of trauma healing through a mantra-like focus (Ps 136), unleashing the full range of human stress-responses to trauma (Ps 137), directly answering each of these stress-responses (Ps 138), and then-in a dramatic resolution-characterizing God as intimately concerned with human biology and life while continuing to acknowledge ongoing experiences of pain and injustice (Ps 139). The article illustrates the proposed framework for trauma healing with examples from pastoral work with asylum-seekers.