Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining by Shelly Rambo | Goodreads
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Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining
by
Shelly Rambo
3.89 · Rating details · 111 ratings · 10 reviews
Rambo draws on contemporary studies in trauma to rethink a central claim of the Christian faith: that new life arises from death.
Reexamining the narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus from the middle day--liturgically named as Holy Saturday--she seeks a theology that addresses the experience of living in the aftermath of trauma. Through a reinterpretation of "remaining" in the Johannine Gospel, she proposes a new theology of the Spirit that challenges traditional conceptions of redemption. Offered, in its place, is a vision of the Spirit's witness from within the depths of human suffering to the persistence of divine love. (less)
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Paperback, 186 pages
Published September 2nd 2010 by Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN
0664235034 (ISBN13: 9780664235031)
Edition Language
English
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
3.89 ·
Rating details
· 111 ratings · 10 reviews
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Apr 04, 2014Emily rated it did not like it
Shelves: biblical-studies-christology, theology, systematics, psychology
When I saw the forward by Catherine Keller, I knew this book would be an issue. As a theology student at the graduate level and a person with a severe trauma history, I found this book borderline offensive to my personal faith and experience. Developing a study that addresses the Trinitarian God is difficult enough without incorporating process theology into the mix. For a more proper theological understanding of God with regard to trauma, pick up Jennifer Beste's book "God and the Victim: Traumatic Intrusions on Grace and Freedom." She includes a more accurate depiction of trauma and its effect on a person's sense of self as well as his/her relationship with God while remaining within proper bounds of correct theological study. Not to say I didn't have points of disagreement with Beste's approach, but I found it more appropriate for the lay perspective both in terms of theological and psychological knowledge. And, even further, if you want a challenge, look at Jürgen Moltmann's "The Crucified God" for an in-depth--albeit controversial--theological analysis of the Trinity, Suffering, and Christ's participatory role. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 13, 2016AJ (Andrea) Nolan rated it really liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, 2016-books, religion-philosophy
Dense but good read on a Holy Saturday reading/view of trauma.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
May 13, 2014Kate Davis rated it it was amazing
Shelves: theme-body, theme-religion-theology, theme-feminist, non-fiction
Rambo creates a truly trauma-informed theology. No, it's better than that: she reveals the ways that Christian scripture have always been steeped in trauma, and that hermeneutics is a way of processing and responding to trauma. She moves beyond "Christus victor" -- Christ's victory over death -- into a theology of the cross that actually wrestles with death and what it means to watch your God die. She invites us into the post-trauma reality of Holy Saturday, and shows that this reality doesn't go away just because resurrection occurs; indeed, it can't go away because of the effects of trauma.
Highly recommend for anyone harmed or neglected by the church's abuse of power or its insistence that all things be happy -- you will find healing here, and a God who makes sense even in pain.
I recommend it even more highly if you're in church leadership. Even if you don't think you've been traumatized (which...read Serene Jones's Trauma & Grace after this one), this will help form your theology for those who have. Which, let's be honest, is the majority of people coming into a church who aren't just there for the social norm/country club game of it. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Mar 30, 2018ben adam rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: the-logy
If you like jargon, complicated arguments, Theology, and trauma, this book is absolutely incredible. It is amazing. It will now inform everything I ever read from this point forward.
If you like writings that are clear without being overly redundant, use simple terms, and are not thick with references, this may not be the book for you.
It is a difficult read, but its ideas are brilliant.
flagLike · comment · see review
Dec 14, 2014Alex Houseknecht rated it really liked it
Shelves: reviewed, own, dissertation-research
In Spirit and Trauma, Shelly Rambo looks at the cross through the lens of trauma. In particular, she focuses on the often overlooked realm of Holy Saturday. In this sense, she views love as what remains in the aftermath of violence and trauma. Many theologies tend to jump quickly to the resurrection as the focal point of Jesus’ crucifixion, or focus too much on the idea of suffering love. Rambo, however, ‘remains’ on Saturday, linking Jesus’ descent into hell and subsequent appearances after the resurrection to the experience of the trauma survivor.
When I first read a chapter out of this in grad school, I immediately connected with her ideas. She has a thorough and patient approach, and helps me to pause and note the significance of the connections between my work as a therapist and my views of trauma and God. For anyone interested in trauma work, whether therapeutically or personally, this book is a must read. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Jan 29, 2014Rachel rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, theology
This book is very important. It talks about the holes in typical Christian theology, where God and Christ are portrayed as victorious and crusading. What good does that do for people whose lives are broken and burned by trauma of any sort? This book offers a compelling and deeply true alternative: a God whose love is limping, weary, exhausted, never dying. That's the God or person I want on my team, not the one who gets everything right and always wins but the one who keeps going through the worst for people's sake.
It's pretty repetitive and not the best writing on the line level--actually the first whole chapter I was like, "I GET IT ALREADY!"--but definitely worth pushing through that. Anyone in ministry ought to look into this. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 13, 2016Philip rated it it was ok
It had so much potential, and even insight (Holy Saturday), but was fatally marred by process theology, a need for heterodox innovation, and "edginess." Only the perspective of trauma and a few minor insights prevented the book from being a total bomb; its best feature has been giving me a new lens of application to go re-read Moltmann.
flagLike · comment · see review
GET A COPY
Kobo
Online Stores ▾
Book Links ▾
Paperback, 186 pages
Published September 2nd 2010 by Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN
0664235034 (ISBN13: 9780664235031)
Edition Language
English
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
3.89 ·
Rating details
· 111 ratings · 10 reviews
Filter
|
Sort order
Apr 04, 2014Emily rated it did not like it
Shelves: biblical-studies-christology, theology, systematics, psychology
When I saw the forward by Catherine Keller, I knew this book would be an issue. As a theology student at the graduate level and a person with a severe trauma history, I found this book borderline offensive to my personal faith and experience. Developing a study that addresses the Trinitarian God is difficult enough without incorporating process theology into the mix. For a more proper theological understanding of God with regard to trauma, pick up Jennifer Beste's book "God and the Victim: Traumatic Intrusions on Grace and Freedom." She includes a more accurate depiction of trauma and its effect on a person's sense of self as well as his/her relationship with God while remaining within proper bounds of correct theological study. Not to say I didn't have points of disagreement with Beste's approach, but I found it more appropriate for the lay perspective both in terms of theological and psychological knowledge. And, even further, if you want a challenge, look at Jürgen Moltmann's "The Crucified God" for an in-depth--albeit controversial--theological analysis of the Trinity, Suffering, and Christ's participatory role. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 13, 2016AJ (Andrea) Nolan rated it really liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, 2016-books, religion-philosophy
Dense but good read on a Holy Saturday reading/view of trauma.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
May 13, 2014Kate Davis rated it it was amazing
Shelves: theme-body, theme-religion-theology, theme-feminist, non-fiction
Rambo creates a truly trauma-informed theology. No, it's better than that: she reveals the ways that Christian scripture have always been steeped in trauma, and that hermeneutics is a way of processing and responding to trauma. She moves beyond "Christus victor" -- Christ's victory over death -- into a theology of the cross that actually wrestles with death and what it means to watch your God die. She invites us into the post-trauma reality of Holy Saturday, and shows that this reality doesn't go away just because resurrection occurs; indeed, it can't go away because of the effects of trauma.
Highly recommend for anyone harmed or neglected by the church's abuse of power or its insistence that all things be happy -- you will find healing here, and a God who makes sense even in pain.
I recommend it even more highly if you're in church leadership. Even if you don't think you've been traumatized (which...read Serene Jones's Trauma & Grace after this one), this will help form your theology for those who have. Which, let's be honest, is the majority of people coming into a church who aren't just there for the social norm/country club game of it. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Mar 30, 2018ben adam rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: the-logy
If you like jargon, complicated arguments, Theology, and trauma, this book is absolutely incredible. It is amazing. It will now inform everything I ever read from this point forward.
If you like writings that are clear without being overly redundant, use simple terms, and are not thick with references, this may not be the book for you.
It is a difficult read, but its ideas are brilliant.
flagLike · comment · see review
Dec 14, 2014Alex Houseknecht rated it really liked it
Shelves: reviewed, own, dissertation-research
In Spirit and Trauma, Shelly Rambo looks at the cross through the lens of trauma. In particular, she focuses on the often overlooked realm of Holy Saturday. In this sense, she views love as what remains in the aftermath of violence and trauma. Many theologies tend to jump quickly to the resurrection as the focal point of Jesus’ crucifixion, or focus too much on the idea of suffering love. Rambo, however, ‘remains’ on Saturday, linking Jesus’ descent into hell and subsequent appearances after the resurrection to the experience of the trauma survivor.
When I first read a chapter out of this in grad school, I immediately connected with her ideas. She has a thorough and patient approach, and helps me to pause and note the significance of the connections between my work as a therapist and my views of trauma and God. For anyone interested in trauma work, whether therapeutically or personally, this book is a must read. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Jan 29, 2014Rachel rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, theology
This book is very important. It talks about the holes in typical Christian theology, where God and Christ are portrayed as victorious and crusading. What good does that do for people whose lives are broken and burned by trauma of any sort? This book offers a compelling and deeply true alternative: a God whose love is limping, weary, exhausted, never dying. That's the God or person I want on my team, not the one who gets everything right and always wins but the one who keeps going through the worst for people's sake.
It's pretty repetitive and not the best writing on the line level--actually the first whole chapter I was like, "I GET IT ALREADY!"--but definitely worth pushing through that. Anyone in ministry ought to look into this. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 13, 2016Philip rated it it was ok
It had so much potential, and even insight (Holy Saturday), but was fatally marred by process theology, a need for heterodox innovation, and "edginess." Only the perspective of trauma and a few minor insights prevented the book from being a total bomb; its best feature has been giving me a new lens of application to go re-read Moltmann.
flagLike · comment · see review
