Theology & Collective Trauma

Healing is Messy!

The first five episodes of this series outlined some of the major themes in how trauma and theology intersect. Now that we know some basics, where do we go from here? In this episode I am joined by three friends who have spent 12 weeks talking about this material and exploring how we might conceive of healing in the aftermath of religious trauma.  Our conversation covered a lot of ground and we concluded that healing is messy! We explore the body, being honest, safety, and how to search for life. Finally, we disuss the concept of hope. Ecotheologians teach us that to heal a traumatized world we must think differently, so if bad theologies have gotten us here, what happens if we flip our ways of thinking? Ivone Gebara suggests new ways of thinking theologically should be more independent, process drive, mind/body bond, contextual, holistic, inclusive, and must make way for emotions. > Hungry and thirsty, we expect to see hope spring up once again in our own womb, in the womb of the earth, out of our entrail, out of the divine that lives with us and renews us. Like the deer, we move forward seeking what will bring us to life, what will enliven our Sacred body with its thousand and one lives. Like the deer, we have sensed the living waters from afar; and now we run towards them, but with no certitudes…barely allowing our goal to keep us alive, to keep us dreaming and to prepare us for the next step on the way. (Gebara) ABOUT MY GUESTS All of my guest are students at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology [https://theseattleschool.edu/] * Madison Drury [madison.drury@theseattleschool.edu] pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology * Emily Knorr [%20emily.knorr@theseattleschool.edu]pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology & Culture * Wes Patterson [wes.patterson@theseattleschool.edu] pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology IN THIS EPISODE * How do we move forward? (6:15) * Why we MUST listen to our body (9:45) * “My body is only ever trying to love me” (12:50) * Naming the “death” that has occurred and holding complexity is crucial (15:30) * What does it mean to attend to trauma as a wound that doesn’t heal? (19:00) * Is it enough just to “sit with” trauma and pain? (24:45) * “PTSD is woven into our culture. What action could be done if we were more intentional about sitting and holding people’s stories.” (33:15) * “Being able to help people navigate bad theology is a type of care.” (38:38) * Judith Herman suggests phases of 1. Safety 2. Remembrance/mourning and 3. Constructing a future (37:40) * Healing is MESSY! (48:25) BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * Leaving the Fold [https://amzn.to/374RdJM] by Marlene Winell, Marlene * Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining [https://amzn.to/3jo5a7W], by Shelly Rambo * Shattered Assumptions: Towards a New Psychology of Trauma [https://amzn.to/3LMsecQ] by Ronnie Janoff-Bulman * Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence [https://amzn.to/3NWrPqd] by Judith Herman * The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living [https://amzn.to/3yqpL4r]by Hilary McBride The post Healing is Messy! [https://thebethalford.com/healing-is-messy/] first appeared on Dare to Know [https://thebethalford.com].

Trauma & the Artistic Impulse

Since leaving evangelicalism, I have been pondering some serious creative blocks, which has become a huge topic for me in my particular theology program. Last year I started asking around and realized I am not alone. Many people who have come out of fundamentalist/evangelical trauma struggle with what to do with their creative side, with many describing a kind of artistic brokenness.  Within the Christian bubbles, so many of us were not trained to listen well or look very deeply at the underside off life, which affected our ability to go very deep into our artistic endeavors.  In this episode, my guests and I talk about what happens to the creative/artistic impulse in white, fundamentalist spaces, and how we might do better at sitting with suffering. Our conversation hits on a number of topics including: * Artistic brokenness (6:10) * The church’s tendency to dismiss emotions makes it hard to be an artist (9:00)  * “The creative act requires that the creator is operating out of an authentic self with reference to inner states of being – inner thoughts, feelings, intuition, as opposed to conforming to external models of thought and behavior.” Gelberg (11:30) * Art as a prophetic voice of what really is (17:00) * Christian art as empty expression that isn’t driven by anything of substance (19:45) * We are trained to use our artistic ability to uphold the status quo and not look at the hard things of life. We are not trained to understand or sit with melancholy (21:42) * The role of melancholy: “A climate of melancholy is necessary in the work of deepening the imagination and creating the condition in which  it is possible for our soul to be blessed.” Byrne (22: 56) * The artist as therapist (31:30) * Art as action as a companion to witness (38:00)  ABOUT MY GUESTS All of my guest are students at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology [https://theseattleschool.edu/] * Alex Grodkiewicz [ alex.grodkiewicz@theseattleschool.edu]pursuing a Master’s in Theology & Culture * Carson Taylor [carson.taylor@theseattleschool.edu] pursuing a Master’s in Theology & Culture   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining [https://amzn.to/3jo5a7W], by Shelly Rambo * The Artist’s Way [https://amzn.to/3kqs5Ac], Julia Cameron * Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence [https://amzn.to/3NWrPqd] by Judith Herman * Gelberg, Steven. “Art and Authority: Foreclosing Creativity in Cultic Groups.” Cultic Studies Review, 9(1), 2010, 232-249. * Wehle, Dana. “Just Joking: Psychoanalytic Treatment of the Suppression of Creativity in Cults.” in Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 9, No. 1, (2010). * Cameron, The Artist Way.  * Byrne, Libby. “Living Close to the Wound.” in Tikkun Olam -To Mend the World: A Confluence of Theology and the Arts, Jason Goroncy, ed. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2014. * Levine, Steven K. “The Artist as Therapist.” in Poesis: The Language of Psychology and the Speech of the Soul. The post Trauma & the Artistic Impulse [https://thebethalford.com/trauma-the-artistic-impulse/] first appeared on Dare to Know [https://thebethalford.com].

Theology & Collective Trauma

Welcome to the fourth episode of our series on trauma and theology and today we are expanding on the idea that as theology has been impotent to help individuals heal from trauma, it is also complicit in the collective trauma of marginalized groups, our nation and our planet.  My hope is that for the scores of Christians who have never considered how the trauma caused by religion is harming us collectively that this might spark curiosity to think deeper.  ABOUT MY GUESTS Philip Hayes, working towards of Theology an Culture Holly Greenidge, working towards a Master’s of Divinity IN THIS EPISODE https://amzn.to/3uRHPRw 5:45   Definition of collective & historic trauma 12:15  The theological roots that perpetuate collective trauma 15:00  Trauma is embedded in the Biblical narrative 22:00  “whiteness” as collective trauma 27:00   America is where cultures go to die 34:40   What do we do with the exceptionalism of the creation story? 44:20   What does it feel like to lose your culture? 51:00   Is there a solution     BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * A Different Mirror: A history of multicultural America [https://amzn.to/3rMbURP] by Ronald Takaki. * Exclusion and Embrace [https://amzn.to/3EBgAiK], by Miraslav Volf * Grammar of God [https://amzn.to/3Oqzdul] by Aviya Kushner * Holy Resilience [https://amzn.to/36BnRCq] by David Carr * Inspired [https://amzn.to/3K8y5b4] by Rachel Held Evans * Longing for Running Water [https://amzn.to/3OtocIt]by Ivone Gebara * My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies [https://amzn.to/3EEHrKL], by Resmaa Menakem. * The History of White People [https://amzn.to/3EAHk2V]by Nell Painter * Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery [https://amzn.to/3v6mWDw]by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah. * Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining [https://amzn.to/37DK9E3]by Shelly Rambo The post Theology & Collective Trauma [https://thebethalford.com/theology-collective-trauma/] first appeared on Dare to Know [https://thebethalford.com].

Theology’s tie to sexual and gender trauma

In this episode, we are talking about the bad theology that has led to incredible harm and for women, the LGBTQ community and scores of young people around sexual purity. We will share stories about our own experiences where it was often not okay to be our true selves within religious institutions. Together, we wonder we might hold the tension, and what do we do with the stories we grew up with. ABOUT MY GUESTS All of my guest are students at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology [https://theseattleschool.edu/] * Kenna Height [http://mckenna.hight@theseattleschool.edu] pursuing a Master’s of Divinity * Mary Pauline Diaz-Frasene [http://marypauline.diaz@theseattleschool.edu]:  pursuing a Master’s in Theology & Culture * Sonja Lund [sonja.lund@theseattleschool.edu]: pursuing a Master’s of Divinity IN THE PODCAST 00:00 Introductions & stories 12:00 Avoidance of the body 15:15 Mistrusting self 20:15 The harms of denying desire 24:00 Women supporting women 38:09 Original sin & the problem of the creation story   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * Institutional Betrayal [https://www.institutionalcourage.org/] * Rachel Held Evans [https://rachelheldevans.com/] * Grammar of God [https://amzn.to/3vexEXu] by Aviya Kushner [https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1?ie=UTF8&search-alias=audible&field-keywords=Aviya+Kushner]  * Hebrew Bible [https://amzn.to/3rtgQek] by Robert Alter  * Whole-Body Sex: Somatic Sex Therapy and the Lost Language of the Erotic Body [https://amzn.to/3veybbW] by Melissa Walker * Freyd, J.J (1997) Violations of Power, Adaptive Blindness and Betrayal Trauma Theory. Feminism & Psychology. 7(1):22-32. 29. * Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” In the Sisters Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Berkeley: Crossing Press, 1984 The post Theology’s tie to sexual and gender trauma [https://thebethalford.com/theologys-tie-to-sexual-and-gender-trauma/] first appeared on Dare to Know [https://thebethalford.com].

Religious Trauma with Emily Hedrick

In 2011 I made a conscious decision to walk away from evangelical religion, where I had spent most of my life. In the years since, I have worked through many things to discover what I believe about the christian story as I attempt to reshape my personal belief system. In this process I have really struggled with trusting myself and my ability and right to think for myself, make decisions that are in my best interest and with the fear that hung over me to find and live by the absolute truth.  What I have come to learn is that these things are a result of a lifetime of indoctrination in evangelical religious structures; lack of agency, decisions making, fear, and so many more are the symptoms of  Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS), first popularized by Marlene Winell in her book Leaving the Fold. Winell describes RTS as a natural byproduct of fundamentalism with its dualistic thinking, lack of space for bodies, demand for obedience, and toxic identity formation. In this episode Emily Hedrick and I discuss religious trauma; what it is and how is is harming so many people. Emily will discuss her own story and how she helps people work through trauma to lead more whole lives outside of religion. ABOUT EMILY HEDRICK Emily Hedrick is a former pastor turned religious trauma informed spirituality coach. She is fascinated by the spiritual technologies employed by religion and curious how humans can use them in the 21st century without exploiting each other. Connect with Emily: * Website [https://goingodless.com/] * Newsletter [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6228c7959b7136a9e313dcac]  * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/goingodless/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/goingodless]  IN THIS EPISODE https://amzn.to/3uRHPRw 13:10 Defining religious trauma 17:50 Psychological benefits of religion 19:20 Difference between spiritual and religious trauma 22:00 How trauma works-manufactured threats 25:00 Feeling it in the body 31:00 Bad theology 37:00 Post religious trauma BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * How God Works [https://www.amazon.com/How-God-Works-Benefits-Religion/dp/B08WTDTFBB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GORNFN28CLGZ&keywords=how+god+works&qid=1649429685&s=books&sprefix=how+god+works%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1] by David DeSteno * Leaving the Fold [https://amzn.to/374RdJM] by Marlene Winell, Marlene * Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining [https://amzn.to/3jo5a7W], by Shelly Rambo * Shattered Assumptions: Towards a New Psychology of Trauma [https://amzn.to/3LMsecQ] by Ronnie Janoff-Bulman * The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma [https://amzn.to/3uknVzI] by Bessel van der Kolk * Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence [https://amzn.to/3NWrPqd] by Judith Herman * https://Journeyfree.com [https://Journeyfree.com]   * https://new.exchristian.net/ [https://new.exchristian.net/] * https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/ [https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/] * https://dechurched.net/ [https://dechurched.net/] * https://new.exchristian.net/ [https://new.exchristian.net/] * https://www.institutionalcourage.org/ [https://www.institutionalcourage.org/] The post Religious Trauma with Emily Hedrick [https://thebethalford.com/religious-trauma-with-emily-hedrick/] first appeared on Dare to Know [https://thebethalford.com].