Trauma

On this page you will find our recommendations of books, research articles, editorials, websites, movies, podcasts, and other media that we use in our research and work with Trauma.

Books: 

• Baldwin, J. (2018) Injured but not Broken: Constructing a Trauma Sensitive Theology. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
  • “A dissertation manuscript for the PhD program in Systematic Theology with an emphasis in religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. It focuses in the areas of Christian theology, trauma care, media studies, and interdisciplinary methodology to make the case that Christian theology and praxis must take trauma exposure and response seriously in offering a compassionate and healing theology of life and community. It explores three areas of potential abuses of power and theological options that amplify the harm done by trauma and alternative options that can move us towards healing and resiliency.”
• Hunsinger, D. (2015) Bearing the Unbearable: Trauma, Gospel, and Pastoral Care. Eerdmans.
  • “Traumas abound. Post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional and sexual abuse, unbearable anxiety and fear, and a host of other traumas afflict people everywhere. In this book Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger weaves together threads from the fields of psychology and pastoral theology as she explores the impact of trauma on people’s lives and offers practical strategies and restorative practices for dealing with it. Not only a teacher of pastoral theology but also an experienced pastoral counselor herself, Hunsinger draws on the resources of depth psychology, including object relations theory, trauma theory, family systems theory, nonviolent communication, and restorative circles. She then places her findings in a Christian theological context, emphasizing God’s work in and through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, to present a cohesive, faith-based vision for healing.”
• Jones, S. (2019). Trauma and Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World. Westminster John Knox Press.
  • “This substantive collection from noted scholar Serene Jones explores recent work in the field of trauma studies. Central to its overall theme is an investigation of how individual and collective violence affect one’s capacity to remember, to act, and to love; how violence can challenge theological understandings of grace; and even how the traumatic experience of Jesus’ death is remembered. Jones focuses on the long-term effects of collective violence on abuse survivors, war veterans, and marginalized populations and the discrete ways in which grace and redemption may be exhibited in each context. At the heart of each essay are two deeply interrelated faith claims that are central to Jones’s understanding of Christian theology: (1) We live in a world profoundly broken by violence, and (2) God loves this world and desires that suffering be met by words of hope, love, and grace. This timely and relevant cutting-edge book is the first trauma study to directly take into account theological issues.”
• Pasquale, T., Rohr, R. (2015). Sacred Wounds: A Path to Healing from Spiritual Trauma. Chalice Press.
  • “Trauma therapist Teresa Pasquale Mateus offers healing exercises, true-life examples, and life-giving discussion for anyone suffering from the very real pain of church hurt. Pasquale, a trauma survivor herself, understands the immeasurable value of our wounds once we've acknowledged them and recovered in community. That's why the wounds are "sacred," and the hope this book offers is a powerful message to anyone suffering from this widespread problem.”
• Rambo, S. (2018). Resurrecting Wounds: Living in the Afterlife of Trauma. Baylor University Press.
  • “The Gospel of John’s account of doubting Thomas is often told as a lesson about the veracity and triumph of Christian faith. And yet it is a story about wounds. Interpretations of this Gospel narrative, by focusing on Christ’s victory in the resurrection, reflect Christianity’s unease with the wounds that remain on the body of the risen Jesus. By returning readers to this familiar passage, Resurrecting Wounds expands the scope of the Upper Room to the present world where wounds mark all of humanity.”
• Van der Kolk, B. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.
  • “Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.”
• Warner, M., Southgate, C., Grosch-Miller, C., Ison, H. (2019). Tragedies and Christian Congregations: The Practical Theology of Trauma. Routledge Publishing.
  • “Beginning by identifying the characteristics of trauma in individuals and communities, this collection of essays from practitioners and academics locates sudden trauma-inducing tragedies as a problem in practical theology. A range of biblical and theological responses are presented, but contemporary scientific understanding is also included in order to challenge and stretch some of these traditional theological resources. The pastoral section of the book examines the ethics of response to tragedy, locating the role of the minister in relation to other helping agencies and exploring the all-too-topical issue of ministerial abuse. Developing a nuanced rationale for good practical, pastoral, liturgical and theological responses to major traumas, this book will be of significant value to scholars of practical theology as well as practitioners counseling in and around church congregations.”
• Wind, J. P., & Lewis, J. W. (1994). American congregations (Vol. 2). The University of Chicago Press.
  • American Congregations, Volume 2: New Perspectives in the Study of Congregations builds upon the empirical foundation provided by the historical studies in volume 1 of the Congregational History Project. Volume 2 addresses three crucial questions: Where is the congregation located on the broader map of American cultural and religious life? What are the distinctive qualities, tasks, and roles of the congregation or parish in American culture? And, what patterns of leadership characterize American congregations?

Research Articles and Editorials:

• Ammerman, N. T. (1997). Congregations and community. Rutgers University. https://link.springer.com
• Ammerman, N. T. (2005). Pillars of faith: American congregations and their partners. University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu
• Arjona, R. (2017). John Calvin on the Lord’s Supper: Food, rest, and healing for shivering souls. Pastoral Psychology 66(2), 177–90. https://link.springer.com/article
• Blakey, J. M. (2016). The role of spirituality in helping African American women with histories of trauma and substance abuse heal and recover. Social Work and Christianity 43(1), 40–59. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-07636-004
• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). (2014). Understanding the Impact of Trauma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/.
• Chaves, M. (2004). Congregations in America. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog
• Danielson, T., Lucas, P., Malinowski, R., & Pittman, S. (2009). Set free ministries: A comprehensive model for domestic violence congregational interventions. Social Work and Christianity 36(4), 480–93. https://www.proquest.com/docview/230161218
• Durà-Vilà, G., Littlewood, R., & Leavey, G. (2013). Integration of sexual trauma in a religious narrative: Transformation, resolution and growth among contemplative nuns. Transcultural Psychiatry 50(1), 21–46. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1363461512467769
• Gingrich, H. D. (2018, October). How to become a trauma-informed congregation; these suggestions will help your church better care for survivors of abuse. Christianity Today, 62(8), 19A+. https://www.christianitytoday.com
• Hill, E., & Yancey, G. (2022). Trauma and Congregations: The Importance of Trauma Sensitivity in Local Religious Congregations . Social Work & Christianity, 49(2), 181–196. https://doi.org/10.34043/swc.v49i2.191
• Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., Milanak, M. E., Miller, M. W., Keyes, K. M., & Friedman, M. J. (2013). National estimates of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD prevalence using DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria. Journal of Traumatic Stress 26(5), 537–547. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24151000/
• Klan, W. R. A. (2018). He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Ps 147:3): Perspectives on Pastoral Care. HTS Teologiese Studies 74(4). https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/71896
• McIntosh, D. N., Poulin, M. J., Silver, R. C., & Holman, E. A. (2011). The distinct roles of spirituality and religiosity in physical and mental health after collective trauma: A national longitudinal study of responses to the 9/11 attacks. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 34(6), 497–507. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21344318/
• Nason-Clark, N., Fisher-Townsend, B., Holtmann, C., & McMullin, S. (2017). Religion and intimate partner violence : understanding the challenges and proposing solutions. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/religion-and-intimate-partner-violence-9780190607210?cc=us&lang=en&
• Rudolfsson, L., & Tidefors, I. (2009). Shepherd my sheep: Clerical readiness to meet psychological and existential needs from victims of sexual abuse. Pastoral Psychology 58(1),79–92. https://www.researchgate.net
• Schultz, T., Vuncannon, J., & Bump, K. (2016). A pilot study of a scripture-based trauma healing model for adults in Nicaragua. Mental Health, Religion & Culture 19(6), 613–25. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13674676.2016.1222606
• Smith, S. (2004). Exploring the interaction of trauma and spirituality. Traumatology 10(4), 231–43. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/153476560401000403
• Streets, F. (2015). Social work and a trauma-informed ministry and pastoral care: A collaborative agenda. Social Work and Christianity, 42(4), 470–87. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1749625659?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true
• Updegraff, J. A., Silver, R. C., & Holman, E. A. (2008). Searching for and finding meaning in collective trauma: Results from a national longitudinal study of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(3), 709–722. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18729704/
• Van Hook, M. P. (2016). Spirituality as a potential resource for coping with trauma. Social Work and Christianity, 43(1), 7–25. https://www.nacsw.org/sw/onlineceutraining/spirituality-potential-resource-coping-trauma

Movies, Podcasts, and Other Media: 

• CXMH – Robert Vore and Dr. Holly Oxhandler
• Spiritual Trauma – The Liturgists

Websites and Other Resources: 

• Building a Trauma-Informed Care System
• Institute for Collective Trauma and Growth
• Trauma-Informed Congregations and Worship: Being Made Whole
• Trauma-Informed Ministry
• Trauma-Informed Worship: Address Trauma to Begin Healing